Risk of heart attacks in adulthood linked to childhood habits, research finds

New research has found the risk of a heart attack in adult years is linked to lifestyle habits and health as a child.

Body mass index, blood pressure, cholesterol levels and smoking in children were found to play a direct and indirect role in the development of a cardiovascular disease later in life, according to Australian, American and Finish researchers.

Their decades-long study, published on Jama Network Open Journal, said the main outcome of these childhood risks was a fatal or non-fatal heart attack as an adult.

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However, childhood smoking habits only affected the risk of heart attacks if it was continued in adult life.

The study assessed more than 10,600 people across the three countries and found the average age of a heart attack occurring was at 49.

The researchers concluded that childhood intervention, particularly for high body mass index, was needed to reduce the risk of a cardiovascular disease.

They added likelihood of heart-related issues could not be "fully mitigated by risk factor management in adulthood".

The study noted that evidence on whether those risks are independent of adult risk levels was lacking.