Public Health England (PHE) is running a campaign to encourage people to take a free online Heart Age Test to see whether they are at an increased risk of having a heart attack or stroke.
Image Credit: AnnaVel / Shutterstock
The test asks various questions about physicality and lifestyle in order to determine whether a person’s heart age is higher than their actual age, in which case they are at an increased risk of stroke or heart attack.
Millions are at risk of cardiovascular disease but don’t know it, putting themselves at real risk of suffering ill-health or dying younger. Knowing your heart age is a simple way of finding out whether you’re at risk of a heart attack or stroke. By making important lifestyle changes you can reduce your risk before it’s too late.”
Jamie Waterall, National Lead for Cardiovascular Disease, PHE
One quarter of people who die from cardiovascular disease are under the age of 75, with 80% of those deaths being preventable if certain behavioral and lifestyle changes were made to improve heart health.
Being aware of a having a high heart age can help people understand they are at risk and what they can do to reduce that risk.
A high cholesterol level and high blood pressure are major factors that increase the risk of heart disease or stroke three-fold.
In England, one quarter of the adult population has high blood pressure, with 5.6 million not having had the condition diagnosed.
The Heart Age test gives an immediate estimation of heart age, predicts the risk of stroke or heart attack and suggests lifestyle changes that can be made to improve heart health such as stopping smoking, losing weight, exercising and reducing alcohol intake.
To help spread the message that it is vital people know their heart age, GP and TV doctor Hilary Jones will be spending one day in London on Tuesday 4th September testing 50 people’s heart age.
With 50 preventable deaths every day of people under the age of 75, this is serious. It’s vital that people know their heart health and take steps to reduce their risk of stroke and heart attack."
Hilary Jones
PHE is running the campaign until the 30th September and encourages people to search “heart age” to access the free Heart Age Test.