Is Your Heart Aging Too Fast? This Test Lets You Know Its True Age
Your birth age can't change, much to the chagrin of some. But the body has its own age, called its biological age, which reflects its health. In concrete terms, a healthy person will have a biological age that's the same or even younger than their actual age. Conversely, the biological age of a person in poor health may be higher. Organs, including the heart, also have their own biological age, which reveals a lot about how they function.
British researchers have just announced in a press release that they have "developed a revolutionary new method" for determining the biological age of the heart. To achieve this, they studied the cardiac MRI results of several hundred people, some of whom were healthy, and others suffering from conditions such as high blood pressure or obesity. From this data, they then developed a formula to calculate the biological age of the heart.
They were able to observe that "in healthy people, heart age was similar to chronological age. But in patients suffering from diabetes, hypertension, obesity and atrial fibrillation, the functional age of the heart was significantly higher," reports the study 's lead author, Dr. Pankaj Garg.
In some cases, the heart was several years older than the person's age. Those with cardiovascular risk factors, such as hypertension or obesity, had a biological heart age nearly five years older than their actual age. "For example, a 50-year-old with high blood pressure may have a heart that functions as if they were 55," explains Dr. Garg. The difference could even be "decades."
Knowing biological age, in addition to other cardiac tests, would allow for a better assessment of cardiovascular health. For Dr. Garg, "by knowing the true age of their heart, patients could receive advice or treatments to slow the aging process, which could prevent heart attacks or strokes. It could also be the wake-up call people need to take better care of themselves, whether that's by eating healthier, exercising more, or following their doctor's advice. It's about giving people a fighting chance against heart disease."
Cardiovascular disease is a real scourge and a major public issue. In France, it was the cause of more than one in five deaths in 2022, according to Public Health France . The discovery by British scientists provides an "invaluable tool for detecting premature aging of the heart," the study's authors say. It also confirms the impact of risk factors and lifestyle on heart health. It's never too late to improve your health by adopting better habits.
L'Internaute
