Chris Smyth, Health Editor
The Times
Gerry Gajadharsingh writes:
“We have been offering “Heart Age” as part of our health checks for about 4 years, but it’s good to see this now appearing onto the radar. People find “illness” scary and therefore often don’t want to think about these things. Many of my patients get anxious about even talking about these things. They often have a view that “illness” just visits them and they are unlucky to get whatever they get. “Out of sight, out of mind”, “I feel fine” they say. Prevention is better than cure and why wait until you have a confirmed “illness” to try and put things right? Many patients do not know the names of the prescription drugs that they are taking, their dosages, their blood pressure and other risk factors. I know that life is very busy but health is so precious, we need to at least be aware of our medical stuff and know what to do about our risks, cardiac, stroke or otherwise, assuming we want to, try and not leave it too late.”
One in six men over 40 has a heart that is a decade “older” than he is, according to official data that highlights concerns about Britain’s unhealthy habits.
Four in five middle-aged people have hearts that have been prematurely aged by overeating, drinking and smoking, Public Health England (PHE) says. Millions are on the path to an early heart attack, according to its analysis of data from 1.2 million people who used a new “heart age calculator”. It records an individual’s weight, blood pressure and cholesterol, as well as age, sex and some basic medical details to calculate whether their heart has aged faster than they have.
Jamie Waterall, head of the PHE cardiovascular disease prevention programme, said: “We should all aim for our heart age to be the same as our real age. Addressing our risk of heart disease and stroke should not be left until we are older. The heart age test is really important as it gives an immediate idea of heart attack and stroke risk, with no doctor’s appointment needed.”
He said people should know their heart age as well as they know their height or weight, urging those with hearts older than they are to exercise more, eat better and give up smoking.
Older hearts increase the risk of an early heart attack and PHE says most of the 22,000 people who die of a heart attack or stroke each year before the age of 75 could have been saved. By the age of 50 the average person’s heart is 54 years old and one in ten men of this age have a heart that is a decade older than they are, PHE calculated.
Men are most at risk: two thirds of those with older hearts are male. Overall, 16 per cent of men and 11 per cent of women have a heart age more than ten years higher than their chronological age.
John Deanfield, who led the development of the test, said: “The heart age test takes the results of considerable research and translates this into messages that we can all apply to our heart health. Understanding personal risk, together with opportunities from intervention, empowers people to take control of their own cardiovascular health.”
Deaths from heart disease have halved in recent decades but it is still the biggest killer of British men and second-biggest killer of women. Half of those taking the heart age test did not know their blood pressure, which PHE says could mean they are unknowingly at even higher risk of heart disease.
An estimated 5.6 million people have high blood pressure without knowing it. Mike Knapton, associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation, said: “It’s extremely worrying that so many people don’t know their blood pressure or cholesterol levels, as these silent conditions can lead to a deadly heart attack or stroke if untreated.”
Katharine Jenner, chief executive of the charity Blood Pressure UK, said: “Getting your blood pressure tested in your nearest pharmacy or health centre can be the first important step to prolonging your life.”