What age is your heart?

[steverob]

I didn't do the online test, but I'm assuming it's the same one they plug your figures in to when you turn up to your five-yearly checkup for men of a certain age (just had my first last week). That said my heart age was 54, which is only six above my actual age and considering I am overweight (but not obese), had blood pressure right on the cusp of the line between the amber and red zones and my cholesterol was a little too high as well, I think my high excercise scores must have been dragging down my numbers quite significantly.

 

[Psamathe]

I'm 53. And dont know my Cholesterol. So its averaged my Heart out at 56.

However my Heart age could be as low as 50 or as high as 63 if my Cholesterol is low or high accordingly.

I tried it a few weeks ago and if you don't know your cholesterol it gives mad figures. I tried one estimate with "I don't know" cholesterol and got result my age plus quite a few years, then repeated identical inputs but used "good" cholesterol values (as from reputable websites) and got result my age less quite a few years. Daft as I suspect that if you know your cholesterol you almost certainly have a good idea of your heart health (as you'll have been tesdted by some medic).

Ian

 

[Psamathe]

Equally concerning is that it asks for your postcode, a sneaky way for the NHS to gather demographic health data from across the nation.

Quite a few websites do that and easy ... give a postcode from somewhere else. How far away depends on what info you are seeking but personally I consider my heart helth probably depends on medical factors like cholesterol, blood pressure, etc., etc. not by the population average for the region I happen to live in. So I'll give a postcode from many hundreds of miles away.

Sometimes eg if searching for a local shop I'll give the postcode for the local council offices. Your full postcode can really narrow down who you are eg for me my postcode and my gender uniquely identifies me or my postcode and pretty well any hospital treated condition (there are only 3 people living in my postcode). Which I why I get so concerned about so much on the NHS inadequate "anonymisation" when they pass my health records to commercial 3rd parties.

Ian

 

[Regular.Cyclist]

The worrying part is that it isn't "some random online test", it's the NHS website. So is this the sort of thing they are officially using to scare us shitless and push the blood pressure even higher?

It may be on an NHS website but without knowledge of how they are interpreting the data provided it’s all pretty much nonsense information in my opinion.

I have a BMI of 21.4 which, in my opinion, is underweight, but it tells me it is healthy. I have a plan to increase my weight by around 8kg.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

It may be on an NHS website but without knowledge of how they are interpreting the data provided it’s all pretty much nonsense information in my opinion.

I have a BMI of 21.4 which, in my opinion, is underweight, but it tells me it is healthy. I have a plan to increase my weight by around 8kg.

My BMI says I am obese. My body fat says I'm perfectly normal, but the patient was told to lose weight. Because BMI (by a lovely nurse who said she understood it was broad-brush but BMI...)

 

[Fastpedaller]

(there are only 3 people living in my postcode). Which I why I get so concerned about so much on the NHS inadequate "anonymisation" when they pass my health records to commercial 3rd parties.

Ian

Reminds me of someone we know who weights over 20 stone --- we say she has her own postcode. I guess you may live in a very rural area or have a very large estate

 

[Psamathe]

The worrying part is that it isn't "some random online test", it's the NHS website. So is this the sort of thing they are officially using to scare us shitless and push the blood pressure even higher?

A few years ago I was suffering chest pains - I knew it wasn't heart but unsure if cartilage of bruise or muscle so Google gave me an NHS webiste with quite a few questions you answer and at end it came up with a big red banner "Call 999 for an ambulance NOW".

I didn't call anybody 'cos I knew it wasn't serious, I'd answered the questions it asked accurately but couldn't answer the questions it didn't ask.

Ian

 

[bobzmyunkle]

A questionnaire to estimate heart health that takes no account of exercise levels or big mac consumption? But what do I know.

 

[Fastpedaller]

When any 'averages' are used the average may not be a good indicator of health. Should we all be more athletic and how would that change the average? Go back to the 1950's when most people walked or cycled to work and many more than today had manual jobs, and the population average was a lot fitter/healthier. I know my Father was a lot stronger than I am.
An amusing story (but with worrying consequences).... 26 years ago when our Daughter was a babe, one of the mothers in the 'group' said "my Daughter is doing really well she's in the 95th percentile so was close to getting to 100!" She was concerned because our Daughter was just under 50th percentile, poor child! Her Daughter was pretty huge.
Our Daughter works in NHS mental health, and saw a huge baby recently. It became apparent the healthcare professionals do not explain to mothers that they aren't in a test or competition where 100% is the goal like an exam at school, but 50% or thereabout is 'ideal'. The hundredth percentile is made up of the heaviest 1% of the 'population. The mothers didn't study statistics at school, and IMHO medics often don't explain many conditions or symptoms in language the 'average' (here we go again) public understand.
If this 100% carries on and skews the average then each generation will get more and more obese.

 

[dicko]

Which is good if you are 80, but not if you are 50. I feel there is a vital piece of information missing from your post!

I’m 78 on Boxing Day, my health is great according to my doctors BMI where it should be plus my Diabetic screening includes blood tests etc all great in fact I was told if only others we like you?

 

[lazybloke]

The worrying part is that it isn't "some random online test", it's the NHS website. So is this the sort of thing they are officially using to scare us shitless and push the blood pressure even higher?

It's a good thing if an online test gives someone a result that scares them "####less", beceause it's about time they took their health seriously and see a GP

 

[dicko]

Which is good if you are 80, but not if you are 50. I feel there is a vital piece of information missing from your post!

90 did it again

 

[Psamathe]

It's a good thing if an online test gives someone a result that scares them "####less", beceause it's about time they took their health seriously and see a GP

Maybe but might also have negative impacts depending on how people react. Not good if GP practices get swamped with walking well just to be told they need to eg lose a bit of weight or cut back on alcohol.

Maybe comes down to psychology of populations but only takes a low %age of population to decide they need to call their GP to swamp an already swamped service.

Ian

 

[Drago]

90 did it again

Blimey, won't be long before your heart gets a telegram from the King.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I know my great grandfather, grandfather and father were all dead by 52.

From heart issues?