Lifestyle Changes Can Boost Heart Age

People are more likely to make healthy lifestyle changes when doctors clearly communicate the cardiac risk they face, a Canadian study found.

The study, published in The Archives of Internal Medicine, followed heart patients examined under the CHECK-UP program — Cardiovascular Health Evaluation to Improve Compliance and Knowledge Among Uninformed Patients — at the McGill Cardiovascular Health Improvement Program in Montreal. The researchers found that patients who were involved in care decisions were more willing to make changes to lower their risk of future cardiovascular events.

We are very excited about the results of the CHECK-UP study, the study’s lead author, Dr. Steven Grover of the Montreal facility, said in a statement. CHECK-UP is the first study of its kind in Canada to focus on the importance of communicating calculated cardiovascular risk to patients who are at high-risk for a heart attack or stroke.

Patients who received ongoing feedback from their doctor about lifestyle modifications saw a bigger drop in their lipid levels. Some improved their cardiovascular ages by up to 10 years.

Cardiovascular age is calculated as the patient’s age minus the difference between his or her estimated remaining life expectancy and the average remaining life expectancy of Canadians the same age and sex.