Unhealthy habits and obesity potentially expedite heart's aging process by 5-45 years
Evaluating the wellness of one's heart and spotting any changes can help healthcare professionals and individuals make informed decisions about heart health. With this thought in mind, a study investigated a method to gauge the functional age of people's hearts compared to their biological age.
The study focused on a model based on cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which revealed that obesity, atrial fibrillation (AFib), along with unhealthy lifestyles, can escalate the functional age of the heart. Researchers observed distinct heart differences between healthy and unhealthy individuals.
Unraveling Heart Aging with Cardiac MRI
Researchers aimed to establish a method for measuring heart age that accounted for both healthy and unhealthy aging processes. They proposed that certain modifiable risk factors, such as high blood pressure, could quicken how fast the heart ages. One proposed method for examining heart structure and function is cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
The study's population consisted of three groups—a healthy group, a testing group with comorbidities, and a validation group. Participants came from five locations across three countries. Researchers assessed multiple heart structure and function aspects, and based on their findings, they developed a model to help determine the age of participants' hearts.
Health Problems Accelerating Heart Aging
Researchers discovered that healthy participants' heart age generally corresponded to their actual age. However, unhealthy participants often had heart ages that surpassed their chronological age. The hearts of unhealthy participants appeared, on average, around 4.6 years older according to the cardiac magnetic resonance-derived heart age.
Both obesity and AFib seemed to increase functional heart age. More severe obesity led to increased heart age, with participants having a body mass index (BMI) greater than 40 experiencing a heart age that was 45 years older than their chronological age. Although AFib impacted heart functional age, its influence varied across age groups.
Other conditions, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, also caused increased heart functional age in certain age groups. Interestingly, in the older age group (70-85 years), participants with diabetes and high blood pressure had lower functional heart ages than healthy participants of the same age.
Key Findings
One of the study's lead authors, Dr. Pankaj Garg, elaborated on the study's main findings, stating, "We have developed a simple math formula that uses data from heart MRI scans to determine how old a patient's heart looks. For healthy folks, their heart age matches their real age. But if someone has conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, a wonky heartbeat, or excess weight, their heart can appear significantly older-up to 45 years younger!"
Limitations and Future Research
Although this research indicates a promising advance in cardiac health monitoring, it does have limitations. Researchers acknowledged that estimations were involved, and the study may have a higher risk for survivor bias. Additionally, longer-term studies and additional measurements, such as lifestyle factors like exercise and diet, would greatly benefit future research.
Furthermore, the model used is preliminary, and larger-scale validation is necessary to confirm its reliability and robustness for clinical application. It remains unclear if lifestyle and therapeutic interventions will affect the trajectory of heart aging in ill individuals.
Potential Applications
Determining the functional age of the heart could serve as a helpful preventive measure, motivating patients to modify their lifestyles and potentially identifying those at a higher risk for future heart-related issues.
Cheng-Han Chen, MD, a board-certified interventional cardiologist, emphasized the many advantages of using cardiac MRI to evaluate heart age, stating, "An assessment of a 'functional heart age' can potentially motivate patients to improve their lifestyles, identify patients at risk for future clinical events, and possibly even evaluate response to clinical therapeutics and interventions."
- The study probed a technique to determine the functional age of an individual's heart, considering both healthy and unhealthy aging processes.
- Researchers found that certain modifiable risk factors, including high blood pressure, could expedite the aging of the heart.
- Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was suggested as an option for examining heart structure and function.
- The research consisted of three groups - a healthy group, a testing group with comorbidities, and a validation group, with participants coming from various locations.
- Researchers assessed multiple heart structure and function aspects, then created a model based on the findings to estimate the age of participants' hearts.
- Obesity and atrial fibrillation (AFib) were discovered to increase the functional age of the heart, with extremely obese participants having a heart age up to 45 years older than their actual age.
- The influence of AFib on heart functional age varied across age groups, while other conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes caused increased heart functional age in specific age groups.
- In older age groups, participants with diabetes and high blood pressure unexpectedly had lower functional heart ages than healthy participants of the same age.
- This research could potentially serve as a preventive measure, motivating patients to enhance their lifestyles, identify high-risk individuals for future heart issues, and evaluate response to clinical therapies and interventions.
