The age of a human heart isn't determined by a person's chronological age. Instead, it's based on the health of the heart and blood vessels. A 47-year-old could have a heart that's functionally 40, 50, 60, or even older, depending on their lifestyle and health conditions.
Understanding Heart Age
Several factors influence a heart's functional age:
- Lifestyle: Poor diet, lack of exercise, smoking, and excessive alcohol consumption accelerate heart aging.
- Genetics: Family history of heart disease increases the risk of premature aging.
- Underlying health conditions: High blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes significantly impact heart health.
The National Institute on Aging (https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/heart-health/heart-health-and-aging) highlights that age-related changes in the heart and blood vessels increase the risk of heart disease. These changes include alterations in blood composition (less fluid with age, https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/004006.htm) and structural changes in heart valves (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6449582/) and collagen network (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11389923/). Furthermore, studies show decreased cardiac beta-adrenergic responsiveness with age (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8087932/, https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/01.CIR.90.3.1225), and age-related changes in the heart's cellular structure, such as cytochrome-c-oxidase deficient cardiomyocytes (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2541614/). Accelerated DNA methylation age is also linked to increased cardiovascular disease risk (https://clinicalepigeneticsjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13148-023-01576-9).
Gender Differences
Research indicates that men's hearts tend to age faster than women's. On average, a man's heart is about 8 years older than his chronological age, while a woman's heart is about 5 years older (https://www.healthpartners.com/blog/what-causes-your-heart-to-age-faster/).
Conclusion
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is crucial to preserving heart health and slowing the aging process of the heart. Regular exercise, a balanced diet, and avoiding risk factors can significantly impact your heart's functional age.
