What’s Your Heart Age?
What’s Your Heart Age? Your heart may be older than you are! Here’s how you can find out!
As part of the Framingham Heart Study, The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and Boston University have come up with a calculator that uses your actual age, systolic blood pressure, body-mass index (BMI), and other factors to calculate how old your heart is and predicts your risk for cardiovascular disease.
The study used the heart age calculator and found that nearly 69 million Americans have hearts that are aging faster than them. Factors affecting heart age or heart health include not just natural age, but also income and education. The lower the income and education, the higher the heart age. The study found that on an average, the African-American hearts were 11 years older than their actual ages. Among Hispanics, the men’s hearts were 8 years older, while the women’s hearts were 5.9 years older. These health numbers were better among whites, with men’s hearts 7.4 years older, and women’s hearts only 4.5 years older.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), only 30% of Americans have hearts that are at or below their actual age. The CDC says that the heart calculator is a great way to keep tabs on your heart health and take preventive measures against heart disease. Simple lifestyle changes, such as regular exercise, dietary changes, and giving up smoking can help reverse damage to your heart. It’s also important to know your blood pressure and cholesterol numbers and take appropriate medication if needed.
Category: News
