Understanding Your Heart Health Age

A new JAMA Cardiology study shows that Americans' hearts are biologically older than their actual age - on average, women's hearts by four years and men's by seven. When your heart ages faster than your body, it means your risk for cardiovascular disease increases. That's important, because your heart health is key to longevity. Several things such as smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and family history are risk factors attributed to accelerated aging. The more risk factors you have, the greater your risk of developing heart disease. The good news is most risk factors are manageable. Small, everyday choices, like quitting smoking, being physically active, eating a balanced diet, reducing alcohol intake, and managing stress can all help reduce risk and improve heart health over time. This is especially important for women, where heart disease remains the leading cause of death, but risk factors are often underestimated or overlooked. Understanding and acting on those risks is critical. To help people take the first step, Bayer(R) Aspirin is offering a simple, two-minute online heart health risk assessment at seeyourrisks.com . It's a quick way to understand your potential risk factors for heart disease and start a conversation with your healthcare provider. This tool does not replace an assessment by a qualified healthcare professional about your heart health. So, make sure to schedule your annual visits. Heart health isn't a passing trend - it's a critical part of our overall health and future. Understanding your risk factors is the first step to keeping your heart, and your whole self, healthier for longer. And there are easy steps we can all take every day to improve heart health over time.