You know when you go to the doctor, and they’re asking you about your family history and then the heart disease, high blood pressure, heart attack questions come up, and you realize that you’ve answered “yes” a lot. Well, that was my visit just the other day, and it honestly scared me. I can’t believe how many people in my family are or have experienced cardiovascular issues. Luckily February is Heart Month, and there is a lot to learn about the risks of heart disease and stroke and how to get heart healthy!
What is Your Heart Age?
For me knowledge is power, when I came to the realization of the history of heart disease in my family, I knew I had to get educated. Shoppers Drug Mart has a fun Heart Age Calculator that in all honesty was an eye opener for me that I need to start taking control of my heart health now. I scored 1.5 years older on my heart age then I am, so its time to get serious. Did you know
- Heart Disease is one of the leading causes of death in Canada.
- Your heart may be aging faster than you.
- The Canadian Cardiovascular Society recommends calculating your cardiovascular age and knowing your risk profile to improve management of blood pressure and blood lipids.
Research shows that understanding and knowing the cardiovascular age of your heart will lead to better health management and a healthier you!
The Heart Age Calculator is an online tool that helps Canadians calculate their cardiovascular age and assess their risk of heart attack, stroke, or cardiovascular disease within the next ten years. By answering a few simple lifestyle questions, you’ll be well on your way to getting a customized report. Make sure to have a measuring tape handy and information from your last doctor’s appointment, but don’t worry if you don’t have the exact numbers you’ll be able to answer all the questions easily! A few of the questions that I was asked are:
- Height, age, weight, and waist measurement
- Blood Pressure
- Personal and immediate family history
- Daily Habits
- Medications I’m taking related to high blood pressure, diabetes, and cholesterol
“The Heart Age Calculator is the only scientifically validated online tool available that produces a personalized heart age and cardiovascular risk profile as recommended by the Canadian Cardiovascular Society Guidelines.”
How I’m Improving My Heart Age #TreatYourHeart
At the end of the test your heart age will appear with suggestions on ways to get Heart Healthy! A few of them are:
- Stop Smoking
- Monitor your blood pressure
- Apply an active lifestyle
- Regular your Cholesterol Levels
- Take Control
I know I will be taking control of my heart health by leading a healthier active lifestyle and monitoring my blood pressure. There is no excuse to not put on a pair of runners and enjoy the outdoors with the kids, fresh air and exercise are a perfect way to get heart healthy!
The goal for me is to help all of you become Heart Healthy and get educated on the risks involved in not taking action now. All you have to do is take the simple online Heart Age Calculator test, and you’ll learn what your heart age is and suggestions on how to improve it. Don’t we owe that to our kids to teach them healthy heart habits now, so they won’t have to learn them later?
Take the Heart Age Calculator Test today!
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 the 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 any losses, injuries or damages arising from its display or use.