HEART BROKEN

NHS calculator reveals WHEN you’re likely to suffer heart attack and stroke

Having a healthy heart is key to our overall health. A handy online tool now allows you to find out just how healthy yours is and predicts your risk of a heart attack or stroke.
After years of declining rates of heart attacks, experts have warned numbers are on the rise again.

Ischaemic heart disease was the main leading cause of death in private homes in England and Wales between January 2020 and November 2021.

Meanwhile, male deaths were 18 per cent higher than pre-pandemic and female deaths were up 10 per cent.

University of Oxford experts said the most marked increases were in women aged 40 to 49 and men aged 15 to 34.

If you're worried about your heart health the NHS Heart Age Test can give you an idea of what your heart age is in comparison to your real age.

It can also tell you what age you're likely to get to before there is a chance you will suffer from a fatal heart condition.

The test asks a range of questions starting with your birthday, sex and ethnicity.

As we age, there is an increased stiffness of the large arteries, this causes high blood pressure and hypertension.

Your sex may also affect your heart age estimate and your ethnicity might also increase your chances of developing some conditions that affect your heart.

A 2017 study, published in the Journal of Throracic Disease previously found that cardiovascular disease is known to be higher in men than in women of similar age.

Experts at the British Heart Foundation also found that South Asians living in the UK have a higher rate of coronary heart disease and diabetes compared to White Europeans.

You'll then be asked a range of questions that could impact your heart health, such as:

• if you have coronary heart disease
• if you've had a stroke
• if you have peripheral arterial disease
• whether or not your a smoker and if so how often
• your height and weight (to determine BMI)
• type 2 diabetes diagnosis
• if you have rheumatoid arthritis
• chronic kidney disease
• atrial fibrillation
• close relatives under 60 with cardiovascular disease
• cholesterol
• blood pressure
• if you have taken any medicines for your blood

YOUR RESULTS

Then you click the yellow box which will give you your results.

You will be given your estimated heart age and told the age you could get to before there is a chance that you have a heart attack or stroke.

If you don't know your cholesterol levels or blood pressure then this will be based on the national average so might make your result less accurate.

You are then able to select option such as 'lose weight' and 'reduce blood pressure', to see how this would impact your estimated heart age.

The guidance states: "Body mass index (BMI) is a measure of whether you're a healthy weight for your height.

"People with an obese BMI (of 30 or higher) are at a far greater risk of serious health conditions, including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain cancers."

Keeping your diet, exercise and alcohol use in check will all help lower your risk of fatal heart complications.

Cholesterol is key to this, but you won't be offered a routine check if you're under the age of 40.

If you have a family history of high cholesterol you should speak to your GP as you will be more at risk of developing the condition.

High blood pressure can lead to a stroke if it's not treated and around one in three adults in the UK suffer from this.

Guidance states: "High blood pressure can be brought under control through lifestyle changes. You may also need medicines to control your blood pressure."

The test is suitable for people over the age of 30.

The NHS says that taking care of your heart health when you're younger can make a significant difference to your heart health in later years.