New medical guidelines aim to head off damage early with lifestyle changes, screening tests and medication.
3 min
Adults should be screened and treated for high cholesterol starting at age 30, if not sooner, according to new clinical guidelines, lowering the age by at least a decade at a time when heart attacks are becoming more common in younger adults.
The goal is to shift to a more proactive approach to head off problems in younger years, rather than starting lifestyle changes and medical treatment in middle age when a patient may already have damage in their arteries, said Dr Roger Blumenthal, chair of the committee of cardiologists that wrote the new guidelines.
Growing research shows how much damage can be done when levels of LDL, or “bad,” cholesterol stay high in the blood for years, he said.
At the same time, more medicines have become available to lower cholesterol, along with screening tests and a new online tool that allows people 30 and older to calculate their risk of cardiovascular disease.
“We need to pay attention much earlier,” said Blumenthal, director of preventive cardiology at Johns Hopkins Medicine.
The guidelines, published Friday in two leading cardiology journals, were issued by 11 medical associations, including the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association.
These organisations set standards for medical professionals from family doctors to cardiologists.
Approximately 25% of U.S. adults—and 20% of adolescents—have high LDL cholesterol.
For adults, especially, that increases their risk of heart attacks and strokes because it causes plaque-forming particles to build up in their arteries over time, hardening and narrowing them.
Doctors are being urged to counsel children and adolescents on diet and exercise, avoiding tobacco and other healthy lifestyle habits.
More young people are being diagnosed with diabetes and other conditions that put them at higher risk of cardiovascular events.
“If we want to talk about eliminating heart disease and heart attacks, treating cholesterol is one of the most important things,” said Dr Sadiya Khan, professor of cardiovascular epidemiology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. She wasn’t involved in writing the recommendations.
The new guidelines offer a number of different ways doctors can determine whether a person’s at risk.
Everyone should get a blood test once to measure their levels of lipoprotein(a), another type of “bad” cholesterol linked to heart disease.
Researchers say Lp(a), which is genetic, significantly increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, and a test can identify risks for people who are otherwise healthy.
Testing for another protein, apolipoprotein B, can also be performed for those with high triglycerides, diabetes or other conditions, the guidelines say.
Research suggests it is a better predictor of heart disease risk than LDL cholesterol. undefined undefined Men aged 40 and older and women aged 45 and older with a borderline risk of heart attack or stroke may also get a coronary artery calcium scan to check for plaque buildup in arterial walls.
Children should be screened for cholesterol and other lipids once between ages 9 and 11, backing an existing recommendation by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
As part of the new guidelines, young adults should be screened beginning at age 19 and every five years after that.
People should be screened for their risk of cardiovascular disease starting at age 30, using an AHA online calculator called
Prevent that measures risk based on a person’s cholesterol, blood pressure, and other indicators. Screening was previously recommended beginning at age 40, using a different tool.
Young adults should be offered cholesterol-lowering medications if their LDL cholesterol is 160 milligrams per deciliter, according to the guidelines.
The same is true if they have a family history of atherosclerotic disease at an early age or a high risk of developing it over the next three decades as measured by the Prevent calculator.
Adults with genetically high cholesterol should also be put on medication. undefined undefined
While the end result of additional screening may mean more people end up on cholesterol-lowering drugs, younger people may be able to avoid high doses.
“If you identify someone at risk earlier in life, you may not need to treat them with as intensive a statin regimen because you have time on your side,” said Dr Steven Nissen, a preventive cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic, who wasn’t involved in writing the new guidelines.
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The Matildas captain has joined one of the world’s most exclusive luxury watch brands, sharing candid insights into the sacrifices required to succeed at the highest level of world football.
3 min
Australian football superstar and Matildas captain Sam Kerr has joined one of the world’s most exclusive luxury watch brands, reflecting on the sacrifices behind a career at the pinnacle of professional sport and revealing she only signed with her new club last week.
As Richard Mille’s first and only Australian partner, Kerr has joined an elite group of global athletes, artists and innovators associated with one of the world’s most prestigious watchmakers.
Speaking in Sydney, the 32-year-old reflected on her next chapter, the extraordinary growth of women’s football and the personal sacrifices required to reach the top of the game.
Founded in 2001, Richard Mille has built a reputation for producing some of the world’s most technically advanced and exclusive timepieces. The Swiss watchmaker is renowned for its use of ultra-lightweight materials, Formula One-inspired engineering and limited-production watches that often sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars and, in some cases, more than $1 million.
Its ambassadors include tennis great Rafael Nadal, Formula One stars Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris, actress Michelle Yeoh and sprint champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.
During the Sydney event, Kerr wore the Richard Mille RM 07-04 Automatic Sport, a lightweight model featuring a pink case, blue strap and skeletonised movement. Designed for active lifestyles, the watch reflects the brand’s philosophy of combining high-performance engineering with luxury craftsmanship.
For Kerr, becoming the brand’s first Australian partner is a source of considerable pride.
“Of course, being the only Australian is incredible to me,” she said. “I am very proud to be Australian and I like to put Australia on the map.”
The announcement comes as Kerr prepares for the next stage of her football career following her departure from Chelsea after six-and-a-half years.
While speculation around her future has been mounting for months, Kerr revealed a decision was only finalised recently.
“Everyone thinks that it was decided and I’ve known that (it was) reported that I’d signed somewhere in April, but honestly, I only signed my contract on Wednesday last week,” she said.
“I really hadn’t decided what I was going to do until last week.”
Kerr said she expects details of her new club to be announced around the beginning of July once her Chelsea contract officially concludes.
Despite her excitement about what lies ahead, she admitted leaving one of the world’s biggest football clubs has been emotional.
“I am really sad about it,” she said. “It’s been my home for 6.5 years. I have so many good memories there. I have so many amazing teammates. I’m sad to leave.
“It sucks to leave such a big club like Chelsea too, but it comes to an end to everything, right?”
The 32-year-old also reflected on the transformation of women’s football during her career, describing the Matildas’ rise from relative obscurity to household-name status as one of her proudest achievements.
“What the Matildas have done over the last four or five years has been incredible,” she said.
“The most important thing for me is that you leave the game in a better place.”
Kerr noted that when she began playing, there were few professional pathways for women, limited sponsorship opportunities and crowds that bore little resemblance to those regularly attending matches today.
“We are a part of that generation that still knows what it was like when there was no one in the crowd,” she said.
Today, she said, crowds of tens of thousands remain something the team never takes for granted.
“Even last night we had 20,000 on a Tuesday night nearly. That’s special to us,” she said.
“We feel very lucky that people come out and spend their money and come to a game and watch us.”
Yet behind the accolades, sponsorships and sold-out stadiums, Kerr said there have been significant personal sacrifices.
“I’ve been living out of home since I was 17 years old. I’ve missed a lot of my family’s life,” she said.
“I’ve missed a lot of weddings. I’ve missed funerals. I’ve missed so many things that people don’t see.”
Kerr revealed she was unable to return home for her grandmother’s funeral last year because of football commitments.
“You have to love what you’re doing. You have to want to sacrifice,” she said.
“Everyone makes sacrifices, of course, and what I do is a massive privilege, but there comes a lot of sacrifice with it.”
Away from football, Kerr said Australia remains central to her identity despite spending much of her adult life overseas.
“I think we take for granted in Australia the beaches, the ocean, the open spaces,” she said.
As she prepares for a new club, a new season and a new role with Richard Mille, Kerr said she remains motivated by the same passion that first drew her to the game as a teenager.
“It was really organic,” she said of her relationship with the luxury watchmaker.
“It’s a real family brand.”
