A CDC Vital Signs report found that three out of four U.S. adults have a predicted heart age that is older than their actual age, putting them at increased risk for heart attacks and strokes.
The CDC calculates a person's heart age based on his or her risk factor profile, like high blood pressure, cigarette smoking, diabetes status and body mass index. Researchers used data collected from every U.S. state on nearly 69 million people, ages 30 to 74, to determine their heart ages.
They found that the average heart age for adult men is eight years older than their chronological age. For women, it was five years older.
"About three in four heart attacks and strokes are due to risk factors that increase heart age, so it's important to continue focusing on efforts to improve heart health and increase access to early and affordable detection and treatment resources nationwide," said Barbara A. Bowman, PhD, director of the CDC's Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention.
The CDC recommended that healthcare providers use cardiovascular risk assessment calculators for their patients to help make treatment decisions.
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