NHS Heart Age Calculator

Jowen

Jowen

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Hello everyone
I did this Heart Age Calculator from the NHS. It showed my Heart Age as 95! Not long to go then, eh? I am 65 years old and really want to make my 80's at least! Has anyone else done the test? For me, it could frighten a few people - it had that affect on me, anyway. I thought that the NHS would be a safe bet to do these kind of things. Any thoughts?
 
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Pipp

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Jowen said:
Hello everyone
I did this Heart Age Calculator from the NHS. It showed my Heart Age as 95! Not long to go then, eh? I am 65 years old and really want to make my 80's at least! Has anyone else done the test? For me, it could frighten a few people - it had that affect on me, anyway. I thought that the NHS would be a safe bet to do these kind of things. Any thoughts?
Click to expand...
Was it the QRISK test @Jowen?
 
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Tried it out for myself out of curiosity (it's here, https://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/nhs-health-check/Pages/check-your-heart-age-tool.aspx) and was disappointed that the NHS does not distinguish between different types of diabetes. It ask "Do you have diabetes?". If you click "yes", it tells you "All of these conditions: Type 2 diabetes, ... can affect your heart health..." . It gives you no chance to specify the type but with its calculation, assumes you have type 2.
 
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Bluetit1802

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I tried it with and without diabetes.

With diabetes it adds 10 years to my heart age, which corresponds with the theory that we die 10 years earlier than non-diabetics.
 
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ickihun

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Jowen said:
Hello everyone
I did this Heart Age Calculator from the NHS. It showed my Heart Age as 95! Not long to go then, eh? I am 65 years old and really want to make my 80's at least! Has anyone else done the test? For me, it could frighten a few people - it had that affect on me, anyway. I thought that the NHS would be a safe bet to do these kind of things. Any thoughts?
Click to expand...
Yes.
Because of diabetes it ages me 10yrs more. No matter my hba1c. Mind you it doesnt ask hba1c like cholesterol levels, blood pressure level etc.
 
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Z

zand

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Since it's from the NHS I don't believe it's accurate. Just like the advice for diabetics to eat plenty of lovely carbs. If it is accurate then I'll say Goodbye now. It was nice knowing you all. :):dead:
 
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Bon83

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I couldn't remember my cholesterol and blood pressure so i should find them out and try again lol. I think they should change the name to the if you have diabetes you will die early calculator oh and it tells me that I am going to have a heart attack or stroke by the time I am 75. That's good to know. How on earth an online quiz can know that I am not aware. I am 34 and my heart age is 38 I have a good bmi which bumped it down a bit (i also think bmi is nonsense!) So I probably would have been ok if I wasn't diabetic. These things are just scare mongering tactics to get people to lose weight. They obviously went for the bargain option for the quiz because it doesn't ask about activity levels or even if you eat the demon bacon or sausages. I am sorry to rant - this tool may be useful for some but why it needs to include diabetes as a blanket option for adding years on us over simplistic.

Sent from my SM-G900F using Diabetes.co.uk Forum mobile app
 
ickihun

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It told me at my current 123.60kg weight I'd live to 77. When I changed weight to proposed weight after bariatric surgery it gave me an extra 1yr lifespan. I know bariatric data is way pass giving 1 extra yr so......... its poop! Ha ha
 
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Fleegle

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Mine wasn't too bad - 4 years difference - but it did say I could expect to live another 20 years which is a good start.
 
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ickihun

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Bon83 said:
Put in husbands details - his heart is older with diabetes rather than with smoking!

Sent from my SM-G900F using Diabetes.co.uk Forum mobile app
Click to expand...
Recently in cardiac ward and in out-patients for coronary angiogram more smokers had damaged hearts than diabetics. Prediabetic woman had atherosclerosis like me. I think diabetics have more artery problems than heart pressure from smoking long and hard numerous times a day and forcing pressure to the heart chambers unnaturally.
Well that's what I could see with my own eyes. That is the only experience I have, thankfully.
 
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dbr10

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Jowen said:
Hello everyone
I did this Heart Age Calculator from the NHS. It showed my Heart Age as 95! Not long to go then, eh? I am 65 years old and really want to make my 80's at least! Has anyone else done the test? For me, it could frighten a few people - it had that affect on me, anyway. I thought that the NHS would be a safe bet to do these kind of things. Any thoughts?
Click to expand...
I'll give it a miss
 
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noblehead

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Heart age is 17 years older than what I am :wideyed:
 
Brunneria

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Wow.
My actual age is 50
By tweaking things I could adjust my calculated heart age by over 10 years. but I question the validity of several of their assumptions.

there was no option to factor in Triglycerides in Cholesterol, so I think that figure/calc is deeply suspect.
they go for Total Cholesterol, with no recognition that the ratios are FAR more relevant than the total fig
there was also no option to state whether you are a controlled diabetic, or not, and nothing to assess the extent of insulin resistance.
the blood pressure treatment question is very vague - I mean, 'have you ever taken bp meds?' the possible answers for that are so varied that surely it makes the question pointless? PResumably 'yes for 3 months until I started exercising' would have different implications from 'yes, I am on 3 different meds for the last 15 years, and my bp is still uncontrolled'.

I did find it interesting that adjusting my weight from very obese to slim (a girl can wish) made astonishingly little difference compared with tweaking the (flawed) cholesterol numbers and the diabetes factors. But there is no reason for me to trust that, any more than I trust the rest of it.
 
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Z

zand

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Brunneria said:
But there is no reason for me to trust that, any more than I trust the rest of it.
Click to expand...
Phew! You think I might see tomorrow then?
On the plus side I can't wait to tell my 91 year old Aunt that instead of me looking after her she should be looking after me cos her heart is younger than mine. :hilarious: That's gonna go down real well;)
 
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Brunneria

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zand said:
Phew! You think I might see tomorrow then?
;)
Click to expand...

Let's keep our fingers crossed, eh?

Apparently, I will live to 84 if I skinnify down to a slim optimum, and
82years if I stay bountifully curved.

I realise that 2 years is... well... 2 years. But the thought of all the aggro, deprivation, forced labour and misery involved in losing the weight isn't really motivating me. Especially when I factor in the requirement of 34 years of staying slim to keep the benefit!
 
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Bon83

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Brunneria said:
Wow.
My actual age is 50
By tweaking things I could adjust my calculated heart age by over 10 years. but I question the validity of several of their assumptions.

there was no option to factor in Triglycerides in Cholesterol, so I think that figure/calc is deeply suspect.
they go for Total Cholesterol, with no recognition that the ratios are FAR more relevant than the total fig
there was also no option to state whether you are a controlled diabetic, or not, and nothing to assess the extent of insulin resistance.
the blood pressure treatment question is very vague - I mean, 'have you ever taken bp meds?' the possible answers for that are so varied that surely it makes the question pointless? PResumably 'yes for 3 months until I started exercising' would have different implications from 'yes, I am on 3 different meds for the last 15 years, and my bp is still uncontrolled'.

I did find it interesting that adjusting my weight from very obese to slim (a girl can wish) made astonishingly little difference compared with tweaking the (flawed) cholesterol numbers and the diabetes factors. But there is no reason for me to trust that, any more than I trust the rest of it.
Click to expand...
I was shocked at how little impact smoking and weight had - the only thing that made the big jump in age was diabetes. I think it is suspect and has a hidden agenda. The nhs seems to favour scare tactics rather than education and innovation

Sent from my SM-G900F using Diabetes.co.uk Forum mobile app
 
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