Low socioeconomic status tied to heart disease risk

A person's socioeconomic status may determine whether or not they need a prescription to buy Plavix, as a new study out of the University of California found that less fortunate individuals are more likely to develop heart disease than the wealthy, even when traditional risk factors like smoking and high cholesterol are addressed.

The findings have important implications. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the world. Understanding why so many people develop the condition could help doctors do more to identify those who are at risk and address the condition before it becomes a major problem.

For the study, researchers gathered information from more than 12,000 participants over a 10-year period. The data included information on health, educational attainment and income. The results showed that those in the lowest socioeconomic group were 50 percent more likely to develop heart disease than the rest of the participants.

The researchers said that getting the wider medical community to recognize this could change the way patients are treated. For example, less fortunate individuals with high cholesterol may benefit from higher doses of Plavix or statin medications.