Most Americans’ Hearts Are Older Than Their Age

02 Sept 2015 --- According to a new Centers for Disease Control Vital Signs report, three out of four US adults have a predicted heart age that is older than their actual age. This means they are at higher risk for heart attacks and stroke.

CDC researchers used risk factor data collected from every U.S. state and information from the Framingham Heart Study to determine that nearly 69 million adults between the ages of 30 and 74 have a heart age older than their actual age. That’s about the number of people living in the 130 largest U.S. cities combined.

“Too many U.S. adults have a heart age years older than their real age, increasing their risk of heart disease and stroke,” said CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. “Everybody deserves to be young – or at least not old – at heart.”

Key findings in the report include:

•    Overall, the average heart age for adult men is 8 years older than their chronological age, compared to 5 years older for women.

•    Although heart age exceeds chronological age for all race/ethnic groups, it is highest among African-American men and women (average of 11 years older for both).

•    Among both U.S. men and women, excess heart age increases with age and decreases with greater education and household income.

•    There are geographic differences in average heart age across states. Adults in the Southern U.S. typically have higher heart ages. For example, Mississippi, West Virginia, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Alabama have the highest percentage of adults with a heart age 5 years or more over their actual age, while Utah, Colorado, California, Hawaii, and Massachusetts have the lowest percentage