Is Your Heart Older Than You? What “Heart Age” Means and What You Can Do About It

When we think about aging, we often focus on the number of candles on our birthday cake. But did you know your heart might be “older” than the rest of you? Recent research has shown that a person’s heart age, a measure of cardiovascular health, can be years older (or younger) than their actual age. Understanding your heart age can be a powerful tool for improving long-term health and helping guide practical choices in movement, lifestyle, and risk reduction.

What Heart Age Is (and Isn’t)

Heart age translates common cardiovascular risk factors (blood pressure, cholesterol, smoking status, diabetes, and more) into an age-equivalent. If your heart age is higher than your chronological age, your cardiovascular system carries risk factors more typical of someone older; if it’s lower, your heart is comparatively healthier. Presenting risk in this way can help make abstract numbers more tangible and meaningful. Studies on “heart age” communication tools suggest that this framing increases awareness and can prompt people to engage with risk-reducing behaviors, especially when paired with supportive, goal-oriented guidance (Bonner et al., 2021; Riley et al., 2023).

Why This Matters

Awareness is often the first practical step toward change. Knowing that your heart appears “older” than your years provides clarity on why addressing specific factors, like blood pressure or activity level, matters. That said, heart age is not a standalone diagnosis; its most useful role is as a lens to prioritize what to work on next, ideally within a broader plan that includes consistent movement, risk factor monitoring, and incremental behavior change (Bonner et al., 2021).

What You Can Do to Lower Your Heart Age

The encouraging part is that heart age is modifiable. These evidence-based approaches can help reduce cardiovascular risk and narrow the gap between heart age and actual age:

• Manage blood pressure- Even small drops in elevated blood pressure reduce strain on the heart and vessels. Guidelines emphasize both lifestyle strategies (e.g., sodium awareness, regular activity) and, when appropriate, medication tailored to individual profiles (Whelton et al., 2018).

• Optimize cholesterol- Improving lipid profiles through dietary changes, activity, and medications when necessary supports healthier vascular function.

• Move regularly- The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity weekly, plus muscle-strengthening sessions two or more days per week, both of which directly benefit blood pressure, lipids, and overall vascular health (American Heart Association, 2022; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2023).

• Quit smoking- Tobacco accelerates vascular aging; cessation brings measurable improvements in risk even within months.

• Stabilize blood sugar- For people with diabetes or prediabetes, controlling glucose prevents added stress on blood vessels and the heart.

Mobile physical and occupational therapy plays a pivotal role in this process, helping individuals safely increase activity, build strength and balance to support sustainable movement, and integrate cardiovascular-friendly habits into daily routines.

How to See Where You Stand

If you’re curious about your own heart age, you can calculate it directly using a validated tool from the Heart Foundation (Australia):

Check your heart age here

After you know your heart age, use it to inform conversations with whoever coordinates your broader care, primary care providers, cardiologists, or rehabilitation therapists. It can help identify the most impactful targets (e.g., improving mobility to increase activity, focusing on blood pressure-friendly movement, or diet adjustments) and shape a realistic, personalized plan.

Putting It Together

Heart age becomes powerful when paired with action. Awareness plus targeted, incremental steps (whether through guided movement with a mobile therapy provider, monitoring key metrics, or making practical lifestyle tweaks) can produce meaningful change. You don’t have to overhaul everything at once; even gradual improvements can help “rewind” cardiovascular risk over time.

Take the first step today: calculate your heart age, identify one area to influence, and integrate that into your daily routine or therapy goals. A younger-feeling heart is often the result of consistent, small efforts.

References

American Heart Association. (2022). Physical activity and your heart. https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness

Bonner, C., Batcup, C., Trevena, L., et al. (2021). Interventions using “heart age” for cardiovascular disease risk communication: Systematic review of psychological, behavioral, and clinical effects. JMIR Cardio, 5(2), e31056. https://doi.org/10.2196/31056

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). Adult activity: An overview. https://www.cdc.gov/physical-activity-basics/guidelines/adults.html

Riley, V., Gidlow, C., Fedorowicz, S., Lagord, C., Thompson, K., Woolner, J., Taylor, R., Clark, J., & Lloyd-Harris, A. (2023). The impact and perception of England’s web-based heart age test of cardiovascular disease risk: Mixed methods study. JMIR Cardio. https://doi.org/10.2196/39097

Whelton, P. K., Carey, R. M., Aronow, W. S., et al. (2018). 2017 ACC/AHA guideline for the prevention, detection, evaluation, and management of high blood pressure in adults. Hypertension, 71(6), e13–e115. https://doi.org/10.1161/HYP.0000000000000065