Healthy Life


Feel Good Report: How Old Is Your Heart?

BY September 8, 2015

 

The above question may seem a little puzzling, but doctors like to ask it to get at another point—one that may help save you from heart attacks and strokes.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report last week stating that about 75 percent of Americans have hearts older than they are. Not literally older than they are, of course. But doctors have come up with a formula to get at the figurative age of your heart. It’s taking a look at factors like weight, blood pressure and diabetes risk and determining how that’s affecting your heart. Figure out your own heart age here.

CDC researchers looked at data nationwide from the Framingham Heart Study and discovered a few alarming trends: Most men have a heart age eight years older than their actual age on average, while women had hearts about five years older.

It may be oversimplifying the issue a bit, but doctors like the heart age number to help get across the importance of eliminating risk factors that could lead to some series medical issues. 

 

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