Half of people aged 40-54 have hardened arteries

WASHINGTON: Half of middle-aged people who are normal weight and don’t smoke or have diabetes may have clogged arteries, researchers said Thursday, urging stronger measures to lower cholesterol. A high level of so-called “bad cholesterol,” or LDL-C, is the main reason why apparently healthy individuals suffer heart attacks or strokes in middle age, said the report in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC). “Atherosclerotic plaques are present in 50 percent of middle-aged individuals (40-54 years old) with no classical cardiovascular risk factors,” said the study.