Traditionally, most heart attacks have been blamed on clogged arteries causing atherothrombosis – where blood clots block flow to the heart. But new research suggests we may be underestimating the role of other causes, particularly in younger adults.

Scientists from the Mayo Clinic in the US analyzed 1,474 heart attack cases in people aged 65 or younger, recorded between 2003 and 2018 in Olmsted County, Minnesota. By carefully reviewing medical records and imaging, they identified a primary cause behind each case.

Atherothrombosis accounted for 75 percent of heart attacks in men, which wasn't surprising. In women, it was the cause of 47 percent – less than half. That has major implications for the prevention and treatment of heart attacks .

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