Public Health England, in partnership with charities including the Stroke Association, launches Heart Age Test

Heart disease (including heart attack and stroke) is still the leading cause of death amongst men. Throughout September 12,700 people will die from a heart attack or stroke. To increase awareness about heart health and reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke, Public Health England (PHE) is urging adults to take three minutes out of their day to take the Heart Age Test.

The Test offers an online assessment for anyone over 30. It allows a person to input basic physical and lifestyle-related information, and provides an immediate estimation of their ‘heart age’. Having a heart age older than your chronological age means that you are at a higher risk of having a heart attack or stroke.

Take the Heart Health Test

Esmee Russell, Head of Prevention and Campaigns at the Stroke Association said:

“Most strokes are preventable and taking a heart test like this is really important because it helps people to know if they have high blood pressure or atrial fibrillation (AF), which puts them at greater risk of a stroke. We encourage everyone to take this test, knowing your numbers and making sure they’re within the healthy ranges could be life-saving.

"Conditions like high blood pressure and AF mean that you're are at much greater risk of having a stroke. High blood pressure is a contributory factor in over half of all strokes, yet many people do not know if they have it  because it doesn’t have any symptoms. Like high blood pressure, AF can often go undiagnosed, but your risk of stroke increases up to five times with AF.”

The Heart Age Test is being launched as part of the One You Adult Health programme to mark the start of PHE’s Healthy Heart campaign, which will run throughout September in partnership with leading cardiovascular charities.