Cardio Age: The Metric That Matters Most When It Comes To Your Longevity?
Dr Harpal Bains
MBBS DFSRH PGCAestMed (Dist)
Dr Harpal Bains
MBBS DFSRH PGCAestMed (Dist)
Looking after your heart health may sound like something quite abstract but with cardiovascular disease being one of the leading causes of death for men and women in the UK, it should be one of your top priorities when it comes to your longevity.
Heart health is among the most essential benchmarks when it comes to longevity and preventative medicine. Its importance really cannot be overstated. Your cardiovascular system, which includes the heart and blood vessels, is the body’s lifeline, delivering oxygen and nutrients to every organ. When it’s compromised, the risk of heart attack, stroke, dementia, kidney disease, and premature death rises. Healthy arteries and optimal circulation can not only extend a person’s lifespan quite significantly, but also protect quality of life and extend your healthspan so that you can spend more of your later years in good health feeling well, vibrant, and without the need for external care.
Cardiovascular function declines with age naturally, but research shows this is heavily affected by our lifestyle; indeed, lifestyle choices can accelerate biological ageing and increase risk of chronic illness.
Historically, we’ve been told that our health is mostly down to luck, genetics, or simply out of your control, but this is now known to be quite outdated. Robust evidence demonstrates that the choices we make play a major role in shaping our future health. With the science we have today and the medical advances available, there is no reason why all of us cannot draw from this increasing pool of knowledge.
When it comes to our cardiovascular health, your cardio age is an insightful, data-led measure of your biological age which can be used to help spot the warning signs of chronic conditions before they become a problem for you. Let’s explore why your cardio age matters.
Your cardio age helps us estimate your biological age – how “old” your body appears compared to your chronological age (regular age). Understanding your cardio age is a really helpful measure of your current cardiovascular health. You’ll find that longevity medicine often begins with taking a look at your baseline health markers (not just cardio age), and layering in advanced diagnostics tailored to your medical history, family history, genetic profile, and goals. The mission? To help you stretch your healthspan, not just your lifespan, so you feel as good at 70 as you did at 40 (or possibly even better!).
Your cardio age can be used as a way to take control of your health, helping predict cardiovascular disease so you can take action today to remain in peak health as you age.
It’s possible to get a rough estimate of your cardio age at home using our cardio age calculator below. This is based on the NHS and British Heart Foundation cardio age calculators, but also includes additional parameters that we find gives a more accurate result. Although cardiovascular age calculators won’t give a precise cardio age, they are a helpful first step and can indicate where you stand.
Please bear in mind that this is no substitute for medical advice from a longevity doctor. At Harpal Clinic we assess cardio age using more advanced tests to give you a much more accurate and in-depth benchmark from which to improve upon. The cardio age test is sometimes paired with other markers like VO₂ MAX, heart rate recovery, and DEXA scanning for visceral fat. These tests can pick up on hidden issues. Learn about our cardiovascular health screening services.
If your cardiovascular system has early signs of wear and tear like stiff arteries, high blood pressure, or poor fitness, your cardio age could be impacted.
To ascertain your cardiovascular age, we perform a Pulse Wave Velocity (PWV) test. This is considered to be the gold standard non-invasive method of measuring cardio age. It measures the velocity at which pressure waves propagate through the circulatory system, giving an understanding of arterial stiffness which in turn informs cardiovascular age. PWV provides us with a unique insight into arterial ageing and can be used to help predict cardiovascular disease.
Arterial stiffness naturally increases with age, but the speed of this process is largely influenced by lifestyle. It can lead to a wide variety of negative health consequences, including increased risk of stroke, heart attack and hypertension.
Atherosclerosis is the leading cause of arterial stiffness and is marked by the buildup of fatty plaques inside the artery walls, causing them to become thicker, harder, and less flexible. Atherosclerosis occurs gradually, but it begins with incurred damage to the blood vessel walls (endothelium). This initial damage can be driven by many factors including smoking, high blood sugar, and high blood pressure.
Aligned with your age: If your cardio age is equal to or slightly younger than your actual age then it is considered to be ‘normal’.
Lower than your age: If your results show your cardio age to be around 5 years younger than your chronological age, then this is what we might consider ‘optimal’, but the lower this number, the better!
Older than your age: If your results show your cardio age is higher than your chronological age, this indicates that you may have a higher risk of stroke and heart attack, reduced exercise capacity, cognitive decline, and a reduced lifespan.
Who you are can have an impact on your cardio age; it’s worth remembering that men often have worse cardio risk profiles earlier in life, and women often see a worse profile post-menopause. Hormonal changes in the body play an important role.
The good news: risk is usually modifiable and positive changes can be seen quickly with the right plan, tailored to you.
There is no single ‘right time’ to worry about your heart health but the earlier you can understand it, the sooner you can be aware of any specific vulnerabilities and make changes to improve it. A lot of patients we see are around midlife, but even if you’re older it’s never too late to make changes and see improvements.
Yes, absolutely! Whilst arterial flexibility takes time to improve, resting heart rate and recovery time can improve within just a few weeks. Indeed, many individuals can reduce their cardio age by up to 10 years within just 6 to 12 months with consistent targeted effort.
Although genetics, hormones, and medications can play a role in your cardio age (meaning more targeted support might be required), there are plenty of straight-forward ways to improve your cardiovascular age. Tailored nutrition, regular movement, improved sleep quality, and blood pressure control all play an important role in improving insulin sensitivity, vascular tone and endothelial function. Even small changes matter.
Improving cardio age through fitness: “Resistance training and zone 2 cardio are key to improving your cardio age. Incorporating zone 2 carotid between 3 and 5 times a week, and resistance training once or twice a week can make a difference. It’s also important to make sure you are both cooling down and resting sufficiently between sessions. Why? Rest is when the body replenishes itself and adapts.” explains Dr Harpal Bains. You can track improvements through your VO₂ MAX and using home wearables that track heart rate variable (HRV).
Improving cardio age through nutrition: Our Longevity Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, Victoria Marshall explains: “Although a personalised and highly targeted approach to longevity nutrition is most effective, the majority of us will benefit from cutting back on ultra-processed foods, excess sugar and alcohol intake. This is because these steps can play a key role in improving cardio age and reducing cellular dysfunction. There are many nutrients that support the vascular system and heart health. However, generally speaking, magnesium and potassium-rich foods can help regulate blood pressure and vessel elasticity (promoting relaxation and correct function) – think leafy greens, beans, avocados, beetroot, and nuts. You may choose to include a clean electrolyte (minus the sugars) to support magnesium and potassium levels – especially important after activity. Omega-3s from oily fish, flaxseeds or walnuts, can be part of reducing overall inflammation and keeping your lipid profile in balance. Polyphenol-saturated berries and broccoli are elite choices. Vitamin C helps protect endothelial cells (the lining of your blood vessels) by tackling harmful free radicals and supporting production of nitric oxide, helping prevent damage. Unsure where to start? It can be useful to begin by optimising your vitamin D and K2 levels. Vitamin D is routinely tested and easily elevated by pairing diet (fatty fish, egg yolks, and mushrooms) with appropriate supplementation where needed. Low levels of vitamin D have been associated with stiffer arteries, impaired vessel function, and higher blood pressure. A whole food diet will also support adequate B vitamin intake, important for homocysteine regulation and energy production.”
Improving cardio age through medications: Negative changes to heart health and cardiovascular age are strongly linked with declining hormone levels. Both men and women can benefit from a hormonal assessment once they hit the age of 45. Understanding early on if you have any imbalances allows hormones to be optimised to your individual needs for better heart health and longevity. If you are managing your blood pressure through medication, it’s important to stay well-hydrated to help control your blood pressure until other changes that require longer to take effect kick in.
Ultimately, having an understanding of your cardiovascular age can give you the information needed to make decisions about your health that stand you in good stead for the future. Monitoring heart and vascular health is one of the most powerful ways to predict and prevent age-related decline. Speak to us to get advice tailored to your individual needs and longevity goals. You can book a longevity medicine foundation consultation or if you’ve got questions, please feel free to arrange a free discovery call with a member of our team. Alternatively, you can call us on 020 7096 5475.
