A recent study from Northwestern Medicine found that most American adults have a “heart age” significantly older than their actual age. The researchers calculated this by using guidelines from the American Heart Association to assess factors such as blood pressure, cholesterol levels, smoking status, and medication use.
The study revealed that men’s heart age is 7 years higher than their chronological age, while women’s heart age is nearly 4 years higher. Additionally, Black and Hispanic individuals, those with lower education levels, and those with lower incomes have wider gaps between their chronological and heart ages.
To help people understand their heart disease risk, Northwestern University developed a free online tool called the PREVENT Risk Age Calculator. This calculator determines a person’s heart disease risk based on several factors and provides an age-based risk level instead of a percentage.
The researchers hope that this tool will aid in preventing heart disease by enabling more effective discussions between doctors and patients about heart health risks. However, future studies are needed to determine the impact of heart age on healthy lifestyle changes and patient outcomes.
Source: https://www.foxnews.com/health/your-heart-may-older-than-you-think-number-could-predict-disease-risk