Knowledge is the first step towards prevention. It is well known that certain lifestyle factors influence our health, but the extent of this impact is typically not fully understood.
"How old am I really?" is a question that many individuals ask themselves. 1 in 2 men and 2 in 5 women have a heart age ≥ 5 years older than their actual age1. Think you know how old your heart really is? Take the first step towards prevention and understand your risk of heart attack or stroke by using our HeartAge Calculator to determine your heart age*.
*Note: This heart age calculator is based upon data from the Framingham Heart Study2,3,4,5 and has been further developed by CardioSecur. The calculator is not intended to be used as a diagnostic medical device — it is important to always talk with your doctor before making any changes to your lifestyle or medications.
What is Heart Age? Heart age is the age of your heart and blood vessels. It is a way of measuring and understanding your risk of suffering from cardiovascular disease (heart attack, stroke, etc.). By knowing your risk, you can make changes to improve your heart health.
What affects your Heart Age? All of the variables included in the HeartAge Calculator influence your heart age. Some of these factors, such as age and height, cannot be changed. Others, however, such as physical activity, smoking, and weight, can be influenced.
How is Heart Age calculated? Your heart age is calculated using an algorithm which takes all of the entered factors into account. The algorithm is based upon the Framingham Heart Study. This study is the world’s most extensive cardiac study which began in the 1940’s and continues today—it collects valuable data about participants to identify major cardiovascular risk factors2,3,4,5. It has been further developed to include additional factors that are relevant to heart health in order to provide a more comprehensive result.
What is Body Mass Index? This is an estimate of body fat. It is an easy and inexpensive screening tool that is calculated using only height and weight (weight in kg/height in cm). As it only accounts for these two factors, there are some limitations; for example, very muscular individuals are often listed as having a high BMI when they do not have a high amount of body fat.
Why is BMI important? Maintaining a healthy (normal) BMI is important as increased body fat can lead to increased risk of certain diseases such as stroke, heart disease, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes mellitus, among others6.
How can you lower your BMI? As you can’t change your height, you can lower your BMI by focusing on your weight. The change doesn’t have to be dramatic - even a small change in your weight can help lower your risk. Nutrition and physical activity are the two key factors to maintaining a healthy weight.
What is 10-year cardiovascular risk? This is another way of measuring your heart health—it is a more concrete way to look at one’s risk of cardiovascular disease. It is calculated using the factors contained in the HeartAge Calculator, some having a positive effect (e.g. a healthy BMI, high HDL), and others having a negative effect (e.g. smoking or being physically inactive).
What does it mean? The number shown is the percentage chance you have of developing cardiovascular disease (heart attack, stroke, heart failure, etc.) in the next 10 years. For example, if you received a result of 5, you have a 5% (or 1 in 20) chance of developing cardiovascular disease within the next 10 years.