Is Your Heart Older Than You? Maybe, Says New Report

NEW YORK (AP) — Your heart might be older than you are. A new government report suggests age is just a number — and perhaps not a very telling one when it comes to your risk of heart attack or stroke. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report takes a new approach to try to spur more Americans to take steps to prevent cardiovascular disease. CDC scientists estimated the average “heart age” of men and women in every state, based on risk factors like high blood pressure, obesity, and whether they smoke or have diabetes. Then it compared the numbers to average actual ages. AVERAGE PREDICTED HEART AGE The results? Nearly three out of four U.S. adults have a heart that’s older than the rest of their body, according to CDC calculations. For U.S. men on average, the predicted heart age was nearly eight years greater than their real age. For U.S. women, it was about five-and-a-half years. “This is alarming. Heart disease is the nation’s number one killer,” said the report’s lead author, CDC scientists Quanhe Yang. “But the bottom line is you can do some very simple things” to become younger at heart, he said. Each year, one in four U.S. deaths is due to heart disease. Many are heart attacks and strokes. The average age of first heart attack is about 64½ for men and 72 for women, according to the American Heart Association. The nation’s heart disease death rate has been falling thanks to advances in prevention...
Source: WBZ-TV - Breaking News, Weather and Sports for Boston, Worcester and New Hampshire - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Health Local News CDC Framingham Source Type: news