Heart attack risk double in less qualified people

Education matters for healthy living, as people who leave school without a school certificate are more than twice as likely to have a heart attack or stroke compared to those with a university degree, reveals a new study.

The results were published in the International Journal for Equity in Health.

"The lower your education, the more likely you are to have a heart attack or a stroke -- that's the disturbing but clear finding from our research," said lead researcher Dr Rosemary Korda from the Australian National University.

"Our study found that in adults aged 45-64 years, heart attack rates among those with no educational qualifications were more than double (around 150 percent higher) those of people with a university degree. The risk was around two-thirds (70percent) higher among those with non-university qualifications," Korda added.

The team investigated the links between education and cardiovascular disease events (such as a heart attack or stroke) by following 267,153 participants aged over 45 for over five years.

"We know that a good education impacts long term health by influencing what type of job you have, where you live and what food choices you make," said Kerry Doyle, CEO of the Heart Foundation New South Wales.

"This research provides an opportunity to further unpack the specific relationship between educational achievement and cardiovascular disease risk, and what can be done to reduce this risk," she added.