A method to determine the "true age" of the heart has been found

Scientists from the University of East Anglia (UEA) have presented a new method for determining the functional age of the heart using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The study was published in the journal European Heart Journal Open.

The project was implemented jointly with medical institutions in the UK, Spain, and Singapore. It involved 557 people - both healthy individuals and those suffering from hypertension, diabetes, or obesity.

Using modern MRI equipment, specialists assessed key parameters of the heart muscle: size, volume, and strength of the chambers. Based on these data, a formula was developed to determine the functional age of the heart - that is, how much its condition corresponds or does not correspond to the biological age of the patient.

It was found that in healthy people, the age of the heart coincided with their actual age, while in participants with chronic diseases, the organ "aged" by several years. For example, in a 50-year-old person with high blood pressure, the heart functioned like that of a 55-year-old, noted the lead author of the study, cardiologist Pankaj Garg from Norwich Medical School.

According to the researchers, the developed method could become an important tool for early diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases. In addition, awareness of the "age" of one's heart may encourage patients to take a more responsible attitude toward their health - improving diet, increasing physical activity, and following medical recommendations, which in the long term will help reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes.