Four out of five Brits have hearts older than their actual age

October 1, 2016  14:29

Four out of five Brits have hearts older than their actual age, research reveals. Online tests reveal most over 30s have hearts older than their chronological age .

It means they are at a higher risk of a potentially deadly heart attack or stroke. The study, published in journal BMJ Open, involved 575,000 people who used the online tool on the NHS Choices website.

It also found many Brits were unaware of their own cardiovascular risk factors.

Half did not know their blood pressure and three quarters were unaware what their cholesterol levels were.

Public Health England, the British Heart Foundation and NHS Choices are encouraging people to use the tool to check their “heart age” and find out their cardiovascular risk.

Jamie Waterall, national lead for cardiovascular disease prevention at Public Health England, said: “Even though you may not have symptoms, having a heart age higher than your own age indicates an increased risk of serious illness.

“The Heart Age Tool gives an immediate indication of a person’s potential risk and what they can start doing to reduce it.

“For people over 40, the NHS Health Check presents an invaluable opportunity to discuss your heart health with a professional.”

Dr Mike Knapton, BHF associate medical director, added: “Knowing your heart age is vital to taking control of your health.

“Armed with this knowledge you can start to make changes to help protect yourself against cruel and life-changing events such as heart attack and stroke.

“The younger you start making small but significant changes, the greater the return on your investment in your health.

“Research has shown that high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, poor diet and a lack of exercise, as well as a lack of investing in your future health and fitness all contribute to increasing your risk of developing cardiovascular disease.”

Cardiovascular disease causes more than a quarter of all deaths in the UK -around 155,000 people each year.

 

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