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Is your heart older than you are?

Published on November 28, 2017 at 8:58 / Updated on May 8, 2018 at 20:53

Did you know that your heart can age more quickly than the passing calendar years? If you suffer from certain diseases (e.g. hypertension or diabetes), or if you have an unhealthy lifestyle, your heart can age prematurely, which increases your risk of a coronary event, such as a heart attack or stroke.

Many factors can have an impact on heart health. In cases where several factors are involved, the heart is even more at risk. For example, if a 55-year-old man has several risk factors, his heart may be as old as that of a 65-year-old man. This a concern, because the heart is prematurely old and therefore, this man has the same risk of having a heart attack as if he were 65 years old.

There are some things you can do to reduce the age of your heart. With many of the risk factors, you can act in order to reduce or entirely avoid their impact on your heart health. For example:

  • If you suffer from hypertension, diabetes or a cholesterol problem, make sure to follow your prescribed treatment, so that you achieve its objectives.
  • If you are overweight, it is recommended that you lose a few kilos in order to ideally reach a healthy weight.
  • If you’re inactive, you can gradually increase your level of physical activity by choosing an exercise that you enjoy and that you can easily integrate into your day!
  • If you smoke, ask your pharmacist or doctor to help you quit. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t succeed – it’s never too late to quit! Keep trying and you will succeed.

Would you like to know how old your heart is? Go to: https://myhealthcheckup.com/cvd/?lang=en

If possible, first gather your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar values; otherwise, the calculator will suggest other answer suggestions based on what your doctor has told you.

Knowing our cardiovascular age is sometimes the motivation we are missing to start making changes. Don’t hesitate to consult your pharmacist, who is there to support you in your efforts!

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