THE HEART OF THE MATTER: TAKE THIS HEART AGE TEST TO FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH

Are you heart healthy? Find out what your cardiovascular age really is, and how to be more heart healthy with this test.

With the start of a new year, we all tend to make all kinds of resolutions. From finance to weight loss—we’re eager to make ourselves healthier, mind, body and soul.

So when the New Year hits, I, like a lot of people, want ways to improve my health that’s not just about weight loss. Recently, I had full body tests and was happy to know that all my levels were excellent. I guess those green smoothies and vegetable juices are really working!

Although I’m healthy, one of the things I take for granted is my heart. I try to exercise as much as possible to keep my cardiovascular system healthy but I sometimes fall off the wagon. So when I heard about the Heart Age Calculator Test available on the Shoppers Drug Mart website, I was intrigued to find out what the actual age of my heart really was compared to my real age. (I love these tests!)

The test is simple, and quick. 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 10 years by answering simple lifestyle questions (like your height, age, weight, cholesterol levels, blood pressure, personal and family history, your daily habits and more). Once I answered all of the questions (honestly) my results came back that my heart was five years younger. Although I am happy with those results, I was expecting my heart to be a bit younger.

Although I have no risk factors like low blood pressure or any other conditions, after learning that Heart Disease is one of the leading causes of death in Canada, I realized that we as Canadians should be more aware and knowledgeable when it comes to heart health. By knowing your risk factors, you can make changes to your lifestyle and break bad habits in order to improve your heart health.

The test will not only determine what your Heart Age is, but it also provides you with information on what steps you can take to improve your heart. One of the things that shocked me was this fact: “A sedentary lifestyle has about the same impact on your cardiovascular disease risk as smoking a pack of cigarettes daily. Aerobic exercise (like walking, swimming, cycling) can also lower your total cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar, and raise your good (HDL) cholesterol.” Guess I won’t be falling off the exercise wagon any more! That’s a step I need to work on to keep my heart staying young and healthy.

To find out your Heart Age click on this link to get started.

February is Heart Health Month so here are some simple steps to be heart healthy:

-Stop Smoking
-Monitor your blood pressure
-Apply an active lifestyle
-Regulate your Cholesterol Levels
-Take Control

What are you waiting for? Take the test now to see how you can improve your health and heart.

—Toni-Marie Ippolito

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 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 for any losses, injuries or damages arising from its display or use.