Study: Your heart may be older than you think — here’s how to find out | Local News

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Your heart may be aging faster than you think according to a new national study.

The Journal of the American Medical Association found that on average men's hearts are seven years older than their actual age.

Women, on the other hand, had hearts four years older than their actual age.

“Heart disease is the No. 1 killer in Kentucky, and high blood pressure can quietly damage your heart and arteries without clear symptoms,” Jason A. Hopper, M.D., cardiologist and cardiac imaging specialist at the Norton Heart & Vascular Institute, said in a release.

Factors like diet, exercise, weight and stress all play a role in heart health.

Hopper said it's never too late to start making changes, like better sleep habits and knowing your "heart age."

Norton Heart & Vascular Institute has created a short quiz where people answer a variety of health-related questions like exercise habits and tobacco usage to find out their "heart age." Once the quiz is completed, your "heart age" is emailed to you.

"We can't go back and change things and there's risk factors we can't modify, but there are things we can do to help improve future risk and it's never too late to start," Hopper said. "And it's never to early to be aware of your risk, too."

To take the quiz to find out your "heart age," click here.

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