The NHS is urging people aged between 30 and 95 to take one straightforward step to evaluate their risk of a potentially deadly heart attack or stroke. A quick online tool can determine your “heart age” and, as a result, your chances of suffering a cardiovascular event.
In a message on social media platform X, the health service stated: “If your heart age is older than your actual age, you could be at increased risk of having a heart attack or stroke.”
On its website, the NHS went on to clarify: “Your heart age gives you an idea of how healthy your heart is.”
The NHS’s assessment tool will compare your real age with your heart age by asking questions about your wellbeing.
After this, it provides guidance on how to improve your heart age by embracing healthier lifestyle choices.
This assessment tool is suitable for you if you:
- Are aged between 30 and 95 years
- Do not have a condition that impacts your heart or blood vessels (a cardiovascular disease)
- Live in the UK
Details the assessment tool will require include your:
- Weight
- Height
- Blood pressure
- Cholesterol levels
The NHS also pointed out: “You can still use this calculator if you do not have your blood pressure or cholesterol details but the results may be less accurate.”
Cardiovascular wellbeing, including heart attacks and strokes, represents a major issue in the UK – with cardiovascular disease responsible for roughly a quarter of all deaths each year. Last year, the British Heart Foundation (BHF) disclosed that premature deaths from cardiovascular disease in England had hit a 14-year high.
Over the course of 2022, more than 39,000 people died prematurely from heart-related conditions such as heart attacks, coronary heart disease and strokes.
This equates to roughly 750 deaths per week, marking the highest annual figure since 2008. The charity warned that this increase was partly due to rising associated risk factors.
The BHF stated: “Millions of people are living with undiagnosed risk factors, such as high blood pressure, raised cholesterol, and diabetes, and nearly two thirds of adults in England have a weight classed as overweight or obese. This is storing up huge problems for the future.”
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The NHS lists the following as risk factors for heart attacks and strokes:
- Smoking
- A diet high in fat
- Diabetes
- High cholesterol
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
- Being overweight or obese
- Irregular and rapid heartbeats (atrial fibrillation)
To find out your heart age, you can use the online calculator here. If you have any concerns about your heart health or the risk of having a heart attack or stroke, it’s recommended that you speak to your GP.
