KNOW YOUR HEART AGE, A KEY TO PREVENTION OF STROKE

Do you know your heart age?


Your heart can be older than your real age,

Heart attack and stroke can be prevented if people at risk can be identified.

The world is moving we must be not be left behind, our health is our responsibility hence working

towards achieving a life free of illness.


Public Health England is urging people over 30 to take an online test to find out their heart age,

which indicates if they are at increased risk of suffering a heart attack or a stroke.

They predict about 80% of heart attacks and strokes in people under 75 could be prevented if the

heart health was improved.

Unhealthy lifestyles put four in five adults at risk of early death, they estimate.

People should quit smoking, eat a healthy diet and get enough exercise.

The test is not diagnostic - it will not tell you whether you are going to have a heart attack - but it can

be a wake-up call to make healthy changes.

How to improve your heart health:

• Give up smoking

• Get active

• Manage your weight

• Eat more fiber

• Cut down on saturated fat

• Get your five a day fruit and vegetables

• Cut down on salt

• Eat fish

• Drink less alcohol

• Read labels on food and drink packaging

Source: NHS Choices


Almost two million people have taken the heart age test and 78% of participants have a heart age

higher than their actual age, putting them at greater risk of an early death. Of those, 34% were more

than five years over their actual age and 14% at least 10 years higher.


NHS

The test asks 16 simple physical and lifestyle questions and gives an estimation of your heart age, and

 a prediction of the risk of having a heart attack or stroke by a certain age.

It also gives suggestions on lifestyle changes to help people reduce their heart age.

One year after quitting smoking, a person's risk of heart disease is about half that of a smoker's

Doing the recommended amount of weekly exercise - at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic

exercise, such as cycling or brisk walking - can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke

Increasing the amount of fruit and veg from three portions daily to more than five can lower the risk

of heart disease or stroke

You can do the test here.