Heart Disease Starts in Childhood

Autopsies performed on over 300 Korean War casualties revealed that over 77% of the hearts examined had gross evidence of arteriosclerosis. The average age of the men examined was 22 years. Some vessels were clogged 90% or more. Subsequent autopsies performed on over 1,500 battle casualties confirmed these same findings.

An article in the Journal of Atherosclerosis Research states that "Atherosclerosis begins in childhood, with the appearance of aortic fatty streaks" and that by age ten, 100% of children have these visible streaks, which is the first stage of heart disease. These atherosclerotic plaques will continue to form, resulting in serious coronary artery disease by age 30-40. The best way to prevent coronary heart disease is to adopt a whole-food, plant-based diet as soon as solid food is introduced in infancy. For more information, see Atherosclerosis Begins in Early Childhood.

Natural History of Aortic and Coronary Atherosclerotic Lesions in Youth