So at what age does your age become a factor? That answer depends on your gender. For men, age becomes a risk factor at age 45. For women, it becomes a factor 10 years later, at age 55. It’s at these ages that the ongoing process of atherosclerosis — or the hardening of the arteries — can start to have a serious effect. Over time a diet high in fat and cholesterol can lead to high levels of LDL “bad” cholesterol in the blood. Eventually, cholesterol can build in the arteries, forming bulges in the artery walls called plaques. High blood pressure can speed up this process over time.
According to the American Heart Association (2007), the older you get, the higher the risk. When you’re under the age of 40, your rate of coronary heart disease is less than 1%. But as you get older, the percentage increases. Between the ages of 60 and 79, nearly 23% of men and 15% of women have been diagnosed with coronary heart disease. After the age of 80, 33% of men and 22% of women have been diagnosed.