“Your Heart May Be Older Than You Think” (Medscape Medical News, July 30, 2025):
“Your Heart May Be Older Than You Think” (Medscape Medical News, July 30, 2025):
Original Study:
Published in JAMA Cardiology, July 30, 2025.
1. What’s the News?
Researchers at Northwestern University developed a new tool to estimate your “heart age” based on risk factors — and many Americans have hearts older than their real age.
2. What Is “Heart Age”?
It’s an easier way to explain cardiovascular risk.
Example: A 50-year-old with high blood pressure and cholesterol may have a heart age of 65.
This could motivate people to take better care of their heart.
3. How Is It Calculated?
Using common risk factors:
• Blood pressure
• Cholesterol
• Diabetes
• Smoking status
They used data from 14,000+ U.S. adults (age 30–79) with no heart disease.
4. Key Findings:
• Women: Average real age = 51.3 years, heart age = 55.4
• Men: Average real age = 49.7 years, heart age = 56.7
• People with lower income and less education had worse heart ages.
• Black men had the oldest heart ages — 8.5 years older than actual age.
5. Why It Matters:
Traditional 10-year risk scores are hard to understand.
This new “heart age” tool is simple and emotional — it may help people act earlier.
It’s especially helpful for younger adults who don’t think they’re at risk yet.
6. Tool Use:
• It’s available online for free.
• Designed for doctors to use with patients, not just self-checking.
