20150902 - heart age

'Heart age' 

older than actual age for most Americans

A new report suggests that three-quarters of American adults have "heart ages" that are older than their actual ages, leaving them at a higher risk of cardiovascular problems such as heart attack and stroke.

An individual's heart age represents the age of their cardiovascular system and is calculated by looking at their risk factor profile - whether the individual is affected by risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity and cigarette smoking.
The new Vital Signs report was published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and is the first study to illustrate differences in heart age across the US at a population level.
The researchers state that around 69 million adults aged 30-74 have a heart age that is older than their actual age - equivalent to the combined population of the 130 biggest cities in the US.
"Too many US adults have a heart age years older than their real age, increasing their risk of heart disease and stroke," reports CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden. "Everybody deserves to be young - or at least not old - at heart."
Researchers utilized risk factor data obtained from every US state and the long-running Framingham Heart Study - a research project that began in 1948 to identify common factors that contribute to cardiovascular disease.


http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/298929.php
http://www.heartage.me/your-heart-age/your-health