A study reveals that many U.S. adults have a heart age that is several years, sometimes over a decade, older than their chronological age. The gap is notably wider among men and individuals with lower incomes or education, along with those identifying as Black or Hispanic. Northwestern Medicine developed a free online tool that calculates heart age based on cardiovascular disease risk using standard health data. The new calculator replaces traditional percentage-based risk assessments to provide clearer insights for patients. Testing included over 14,000 adults with no prior history of cardiovascular disease.
Most U.S. adults have a heart age several years older than their chronological age, sometimes by more than a decade. This gap is wider among men and those with lower incomes.
The Northwestern scientists created a free online tool that calculates a person's heart age based on their risk for cardiovascular disease using routine health data.
The calculator reframes risk from a percentage to an age, making it easier for patients to understand and discuss their risk for heart disease with doctors.
The study tested the age calculator on more than 14,000 U.S. adults, revealing that on average, women had a heart age.
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