Do you know your Heart Age? Take the Test! #TreatYourHeart

February is Heart month and what better time than now to start thinking about the health of your cardiovascular system and the risks of heart disease and stroke!

Heart Disease is one of the leading causes of death in Canada and your heart just may be aging faster than you.  Knowledge is power and research actually shows that knowing your hearts age can lead to better management of your heart health.  This is why the Canadian Cardiovascular Society recommends calculating your hearts age and knowing your risk profile.  Powerful information indeed!

The Heart Age Calculator is an online tool on the Shoppers Drug Mart website that helps Canadians calculate their cardiovascular age.  It can also assess their risk of heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular disease within the next 10 years all by answering simple lifestyle questions to determine your risks.  It is the only scientifically validated online tool available that provides a personalized heart age and cardiovascular risk profile as recommended by the Canadian Cardiovascular Society Guidelines.

Do you know your heart age?  Neither my husband nor myself knew, although I had a strong suspicion that although I’m two years older than him that my heart age would be younger than his.   At first he wasn’t too interested until I took the test and found my hearts true age was 5 years younger than my real age.  That is around when his competitive nature kicked in and he grabbed the laptop from me to take it for himself.  He was stunned to find that his hearts true age was 4 years older than his actual age.

We also discovered that while my risk for cardiovascular disease was 1% within the next ten years, his was 3.4% and it let him know that he could reduce this risk down to 1.8% and also lower his hearts age down to his actual age by quitting smoking.

After taking the test the five major risk factors that can be controlled with smart lifestyle choices and medication are outlined as a reminder.  These risks include smoking, not enough physical activity, being overweight, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.  Thankfully there are 5 Simple Steps to being Heart Healthy and to take control of your cardiovascular age.

1. Stop Smoking
2. Monitor your blood pressure
3. Apply an active lifestyle
4. Regulate your Cholesterol Levels
5. Take Control

Why not treat your sweetie a little extra this Valentine’s Day by taking care of their heart?  Start by having them to take the Heart Age Calculator test!

 Disclosure – Although this post has been sponsored by Shoppers Drug Mart Inc., the opinions and language are all my own, and in no way do they reflect the views, opinions or positions of Shoppers Drug Mart Inc. or its affiliates or licensees. Shoppers Drug Mart Inc. makes no representation as to accuracy, completeness, suitability or validity of any information within this blog post and will not be liable for any errors or omissions in this information or for any losses, injuries or damages arising from its display or use.

Elizabeth Lampman

Elizabeth Lampman is a coffee-fuelled Mom of 2 girls and lives in Hamilton, Ontario. She enjoys travelling, developing easy recipes, crafting, taking on diy projects, travelling and saving money!