Biological age may not be the only number to consider when trying to predict longevity; Also consider “heart age,” experts warned.
The so-called heart age reflects a person’s risk of cardiovascular disease based on various risk factors, such as blood pressure, cholesterol levels, smoking and the presence of conditions such as diabetes.
Doctors say Americans should aim for a heart younger than their biological age, even just a year, to have the best chance of living a long, healthy life.
However,The average American adult has a heart that about seven years older than they are, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The concept of “heart age” was developed by scientists behind the Framingham Heart Study, which has followed more than 575,000 suburban Boston residents for nearly seven decades, analyzing risk factors for heart disease.
Heart age is influenced, at least in part, by weight, smoking history and other modifiable risk factors, meaning that older age can be reversed.
Dr. Seth Jacobson, cardiologist at the University of Rochester saying: ‘It is a representation of your 10-year risk of cardiovascular disease. When translated into age, it allows us to see how our family history and personal choices impact our hearts.”
There are many online calculators available to help people ages 30 and older better understand their cardiovascular health. They all ask users to enter their age, weight and height to calculate body mass index.
They also require the user to know their systolic blood pressure, which often appears above the other lower number, which represents diastolic blood pressure.
He calculator It also asks if the user has type 2 diabetes, which is a major risk factor for heart disease. In fact, type 2 diabetics are two to four times more likely develop cardiovascular diseases.
It also requires the user to know their total and HDL cholesterol levels.
HDL, or high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, is often called “good” cholesterol because it carries the fatty substance that can restrict blood flow back to the liver, which removes cholesterol.
Three in four Americans have a heart age that exceeds their actual age, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suggesting that the vast majority of American adults could be doing more to mitigate their risk of heart attack and stroke.
Most Americans have a heart age that is on average seven years older than their actual age.
Heart disease is a leading cause of death among Americans and accounted for about 20 percent of deaths in 2021, the most recent year for which data is available.
Dr. Joseph Wu, volunteer president of the American Heart Association and director of the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, said, “Heart disease, along with stroke, the fifth leading cause of death, claims the most lives in the U.S. “than all forms of cancer and chronic diseases.” combined lower respiratory tract disease, based on the most recent data available.
“Therefore, the results of this survey, which show that most people do not know the important impact of heart disease, are discouraging and even a little frightening.”
Signs of an aging heart include chest pains with exercise, fatigue, shortness of breath, and lightheadedness.
Reversing an elevated heart age begins with changing unhealthy lifestyle habits. If you smoke or vape, doctors implore you to quit.
Exercising for at least 150 minutes a week can lower blood pressure, improve cholesterol, and help maintain a healthy weight.
Cardiologists also recommend lowering cholesterol, specifically LDL cholesterol, by reducing your intake of trans and saturated fats from foods like red meat, eating plenty of fiber, and opting for vegetable oils like canola, sunflower, safflower, and others instead of butter or lard. when to cook or sit down to eat.