With the increasing advancements in technology, it should come as no surprise that researchers are continuously looking for ways to identify one’s risk factors for certain diseases or illnesses. After all, a Fitness Calculator was developed earlier last year to determine one’s fitness age, which is different from one’s chronological age. Now the next innovation is here with the development of a Heart Age Calculator!
Calculate Your Heart Age
Similar to the Fitness Calculator, the Heart Age Calculator was founded on the idea that one’s heart age is different than one’s chronological age. Researchers from numerous British organizations worked together to create an algorithm that determines one’s risk of experiencing a heart attack.
What makes this particular Heart Age Calculator so different from other heart assessments is that it takes into consideration both short and long-term risks, allowing doctors to determine who should be taking medication to immediately reduce one’s risk or who should make simple lifestyle changes that will help in the long run.
Another added benefit of this Heart Age Calculator is that it can realistically calculate how making lifestyle changes will affect one’s risk. For example, you can see how much your risk is reduced by quitting smoking, but maintaining this (or any) lifestyle change is key in making this potential reduced risk a reality.
So why is having this long-term calculation of risk so important? According to study author and UCLPartners’ Director of Cardiovascular Prevention John Deanfield, it’s important to consider one’s long-term risk in order to properly predict and prevent a heart attack. And for those who are worried that this calculator will simply mean that statins will be given to more people, Deanfield explains that “it’s about giving statins to the right people at the right time, rather than just give more people statins.”
How Healthy is Your Heart?
Now for the important question: how old is your heart? To calculate your heart age, just click here – the Heart Age Calculator is completely free to use and it may end up saving your life! The picture below gives you an idea of what the Heart Age Calculator looks like:
If you use the Heart Age Calculator and find that you are at a higher risk of experiencing a heart attack, making these simple lifestyle changes can help reduce your risk:
- Exercise often. About 30 minutes of exercise four to five days a week is best. Be sure to include a variety of activities in your exercise routine, too!
- Eat a healthy diet, especially fish. The Mediterranean diet seems to be the best diet to benefit your heart health.
- Maintain a healthy weight. Based on your age and height, your doctor can help you determine a healthy weight.
- Don’t smoke. We’re all familiar with the risks of smoking, and it is one of the biggest factors that increases your risk of experiencing a heart attack or developing heart disease.
However, it should be noted that this Heart Age Calculator is not a replacement for seeing your doctor. The Heart Age Calculator, however, could be better used as a type of starting point to discuss any possible risk factors with your doctor. You could even perform this test with your doctor so you can discuss the results and any possible modifications to your lifestyle together.
