Your Heart May Be a Decade Older Than You Are—Here’s How to Find Out

A new study found that most U.S. adults have hearts several years older than their actual age, sometimes more than 10 years older. 

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Your heart could be celebrating its 60th birthday while you’re still blowing out 50 candles. A new study suggests that most Americans face this age gap, which significantly increases their risk of heart attack and stroke.

The findings also show that this difference is more pronounced among men, black or Hispanic people, and those with lower incomes or education levels.

Disparities Across Demographics

The study, published in JAMA Cardiology and based on data from more than 14,000 U.S. adults age 30 to 79 with no previous history of heart disease, revealed significant differences in heart age gaps across racial and ethnic groups.