Here's how to tell if your heart is trending towards accelerated aging—and what to do if it is, according to an expert cardiologist.
Heart risk is often communicated in terms of your odds of a serious heart health episode, but there’s another way of thinking and talking about your heart health: by calculating your “cardiac age.” This metric converts your overall cardiovascular risk into an age comparison that’s easier to understand, reframing abstract percentages into something more tangible.
Preventive cardiologist Luke Laffin, MD, at the Cleveland Clinic shares an example: Instead of telling a 50-year-old patient they have a 12% 10-year risk of stroke or heart attack, a doctor may say their cardiac age looks more like that of a 66-year-old, suggesting premature aging and a heightened risk.
To calculate cardiac age, clinicians typically look at a combination of factors known to influence heart disease risk. These include blood pressure levels, cholesterol numbers, whether someone smokes, and whether they have diabetes. In some cases, doctors may also consider additional tests or imaging to get a clearer picture of cardiovascular health.
While it’s no substitute for a trip to your primary care doctor’s or cardiologist’s office, Australia’s Heart Foundation also provides a simple, online Heart Age Calculator which can help calculate your cardiac age if you are between the ages of 35 and 45, and you do not have a history of heart disease. The American Heart Association’s PREVENT Risk Age Calculator works similarly for heart disease-free people aged 30 to 79, but may require data from your doctor, such as your cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and eGFR levels—a measure of kidney function.
Learning that your cardiac age is higher than your actual age can be unsettling, but it’s also actionable. Lifestyle changes play a major role in shifting risk in a healthier direction. Weight loss, improved nutrition, consistent physical activity, adequate sleep, and stress management can all help support heart health over time. Medications may also be part of the plan.
Notes Dr. Laffin: “Doing the right things from a lifestyle perspective are going to be important, and then talking with your doctor about certain medications to maybe bring down blood pressure or bring down cholesterol can hopefully reduce one’s risk. And, you know, by consequence of that, you know, theoretically reduce your cardiac age.”
Genetics matter, too. A family history of heart disease can raise cardiovascular risk, which makes it especially important to share that information with your healthcare provider.
Knowing your cardiac age isn’t about labels—it’s about understanding risk and using that insight to protect your heart for the long run. If your heart’s age is outpacing your actual age, it’s never too late to make heart-healthy changes for a lower-risk future.
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