Do you know your heart age? Adults across the country are being encouraged to take a few minutes out of their day to get to know their heart age by taking a free online, ‘Heart Age Test’, which asks physical and lifestyle related information, as well as blood pressure and cholesterol, and determines if someone’s heart is at a higher age than their actual age.
Having a heart age older than your chronological age means that you are at a higher risk of having a heart attack or stroke, which are the two main forms of cardiovascular disease, which is the second leading cause of death in the country. It is estimated that over 50 deaths a day from these conditions could be prevented if people had a better understanding of their heart health. Each month around 7,000 people die from heart disease or stroke and 80 per cent of these deaths could be prevented (around 19,200 deaths a year).‡‡ Addressing these changes in midlife will also reduce the risk of dementia.
Modern life can make it tricky to be healthy, but making positive lifestyle choices can reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke, whether this is through stopping smoking, making healthier food choices or increasing the level of physical activity that you do. The heart age test provides advice on how people can achieve these goals.
The Heart Age Test has been completed 1.9 million times so far and four out of five of those have a heart age higher than their chronological age. To find out your heart age, search ‘Heart Age’ or go to: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/nhs-health-check/check-your-heart-age-tool/
‡‡ This figure has been derived from investigating the number of deaths of this kind in people under 75 years of age
