Wednesday 5 September 2018

How old is your heart?





This is a popular quiz doing the rounds at the moment. I did it here and was told that my heart is four years older than I am! All my readings, history etc were more or less normal, I had no risk factors, and I was the ideal weight for my height. The quiz doesn't mention lifestyle (drinking habits, exercise, diet - all of mine are healthy), so why add four years to my heart's age? I'm mystified.

As a nurse, I'm not at all worried about this; just annoyed. But I can see the "worried well" thronging to surgeries and clinics if similar verdicts to the one I received are dished out.

Out of interest, do take the test, and let me know how much older (or younger) than you your heart is supposed to be. You don't have to reveal your age!

21 comments:

  1. No Way. I am feeling rough at the moment and knowing my heart feels the same won't help. I haven't been near a doctor for fifteen years. Last time I went it was to get my sternum stitched up and some ribs wired. The clown told me there was a 50% chance of infection. I told him thanks but no thanks. When I met my GP he said the consultant wasn't very pleased. I told him to go away as well.

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    1. Hm. I’m glad I’m not your GP, Adrian!

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    2. He's delighted. Gets £150.00p per annum for doing nothing.

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    3. My daughter in law is a GP and she gets nothing like that and works her socks off! Perhaps she needs to move to your neck of the woods?

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    4. The Practice does. How else are they funded?

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  2. Well I did the test against my better judgement. My BP Diastolic is 124. My cholesterol is low. I have a BMI of 21.3. I've just had a heart monitor for a week and it was pronounced fit and well. Given the paucity of questions and the apparently 'good' answers I was rather surprised to be told that my hear age is 21 years older than I am ie 95. Frankly I just don't believe it.

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    1. Graham, are you sure it’s not your systolic that’s 124? If that’s your diastolic, your days are numbered! But I agree. I don’t believe any of it, either.

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    2. Yes, Frances, it's my Systolic of course. That was the figure they asked for in the questionnaire. They said it was on the high side of normal but for a person of my age when I've been in hospital and the reading has been around 130 they have always said it was good and when I was down at 124/78 they said it was too low and took me off my tablets. Who knows? Who cares?

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    3. Graham, 124 systolic is brilliant at any age!

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  3. My heart was placed three years older than I am. it would have to be based on the fact I am 'white' because that's almost all I told them.

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    1. Kate, that was probably your punishment for not answering all the questions!

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    2. Ha ha! Good point Frances!

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  4. PS I'm glad you are fit and well GB. :o)

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  5. Mine came out at 3 yrs older. All answers were much the same as yours I think. Luckily it didn't ask about alcohol consumption !!

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  6. My heart was judged to be 7 years older than the rest of me. That's probably because of these annoying questions making my blood pressure go up, though! ;)

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    1. I think the whole thing is rubbish, DT. And has the potential to cause a lot of people to panic.

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  7. I balked at taking this test for several days. Although I do have cardiovascular disease, I lied and said I did not (else they wouldn’t let me finish the test). Result: my heart age according to them is 95 (I am 77) and I can expect to live to age 86 without having a heart attack or a stroke. They are WRONG as I had a heart attack at age 55, which was 22 years ago. This test isn’t worth the paper it’s written on. Oddly, I dreamed about a year ago that I saw my tombstone with 2027 as my death date, when I will be 86. What should I conclude from this coincidence?

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    1. RWP, it’s all rubbish. It was debunked in the Times the other day, and quite right, too. Some people will be alarmed; others, like you, will have the sense to realise that it’s not to be take seriously. May you live for many more years, and well beyond the age of 86!

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  8. I did this test the other day and my heart is two years older than me.

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    1. Not bad at all, Teresa, judging by everyone else’s results. Congratulations!

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