Unhealthy lifestyle habits and obesity may trigger premature heart aging by up to 45 years.
Heart health assessment is crucial in catching potential problems early and providing effective interventions. A recent study focused on estimating the functional age of people's hearts compared to their biological age using a model based on cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
This study aimed to explore a method for measuring heart age and the differences between healthy and unhealthy aging. Researchers noticed that certain risk factors, like high blood pressure, could cause the heart to age faster. Cardiac MRI could potentially help analyze the heart's structure and function, serving as a valuable tool.
The retrospective observational study compared a healthy reference population of 191 participants to a testing population of 366 participants with at least one comorbidity, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or obesity. Another group of 25 people served as a "preliminary external validation" cohort.
Using cardiac MRI data, researchers looked at different components of heart structure and function, then developed a model to help determine the age of participants' hearts. They found distinct heart differences between the healthy and unhealthy groups.
Unhealthy participants had heart ages higher than their chronological age. The cardiac magnetic resonance-derived heart ages were almost five years older than the chronological age of these participants. The study observed that obesity increased functional heart age, with more weight increasing heart years. Participants with a body mass index of 40 or higher had a functional heart age 45 years higher than their chronological age. For participants with atrial fibrillation, heart functional age was also higher than that for healthy participants.
Health conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes increased functional heart age for certain age groups, but this trend reversed for those ages 70 and up. The study findings suggest that a heart's functional age can be calculated using a simple math formula from heart MRI scans, which could serve as a motivator for individuals to adopt heart-healthy lifestyles and make informed decisions about their heart health.
- This study focused on exploring a method for measuring heart age, which is crucial in heart health assessment to catch potential problems early.
- Researchers developed a model using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data to estimate the functional age of people's hearts compared to their biological age.
- Certain risk factors like high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity could cause the heart to age faster, according to the study.
- Cardiac MRI could potentially help analyze the heart's structure and function, serving as a valuable tool in medicine and heart-related research.
- The study observed that obesity increases functional heart age, with more weight leading to more heart years, potentially indicating a need for weight management.
- For seniors with a body mass index of 40 or higher, the functional heart age was significantly higher than their chronological age.
- Other heart diseases, such as atrial fibrillation, also increase functional heart age, highlighting the importance of appropriate treatment and management of these chronic diseases.
- Contraindications to fitness and exercise, like certain medical conditions or ongoing health-and-wellness issues, should be considered before using the heart age calculation as a motivator for lifestyle changes.
- The estimates derived from this study could provide a practical solution for people to understand their cardiovascular health and make informed decisions about their fitness-and-exercise routines and weight management strategies.
- Further research in science is needed to validate and refine this heart age calculation method, with the aim of improving cardiovascular health worldwide.
