How is Your 'Cardiac Age' Determined?

CLEVELAND - We often hear about the importance of having good blood pressure and cholesterol, but your cardiac age matters too. 

“Cardiac age is just a way of expressing cardiovascular risk by translating it into an age equivalent. Instead of saying, ‘You have a 12 percent ten-year risk of stroke or heart attack,’ we could say, ‘Your heart looks more like that of a 66-year-old even though you’re 50,’ for example,” said Luke Laffin, MD, preventive cardiologist at Cleveland Clinic.

Dr. Laffin said a person’s cardiac age isn’t based on one specific test, but more so the result of multiple factors like blood pressure, cholesterol, whether they smoke or have diabetes. 

Other tests and imaging may also be considered. 

He said if you find out you have a higher cardiac age, there are things you can do to help improve that number. 

They include losing weight, eating healthier foods, regularly exercising, getting enough sleep and reducing stress.  

“Doing the right things from a lifestyle perspective is going to be important. And then talking with your doctor about certain medications to bring down blood pressure or bring down cholesterol can hopefully reduce one's risk. And by consequence of that, theoretically reduce your cardiac age,” said Dr. Laffin.

Dr. Laffin said genetics can also impact a person’s cardiovascular risk, which is why it’s important to know if any heart conditions run in your family.