The data revealed that the test was completed almost 5 million times.
‘Understanding the heart age through Public Health Englands online Heart Age Test (HAT) stands as a wake-up call for high-risk individuals. The test helps compare the real age of the heart to the predicted age to make necessary lifestyle changes.
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This encourages the individuals to reduce their heart age through diet and exercise and consider NHS Health Check. A higher level of engagement with the tool was greater among the groups that are typically underrepresented in the NHS Health Check program including males, younger eligible adults, and individuals from Indian and other ethnic backgrounds.
Heart Age Test
The team also validated the test response through an online survey of more than 800 users. It showed a strong emotional response to the estimated heart age among those participants. Moreover, they had a better sense of higher estimated heart age and its association with CVD risk.
The study thereby emphasizes that pre-screening tests, such as the HAT helps individuals to estimate their CVD risk and make necessary lifestyle choices.
“There were some real success stories. We interviewed users, on average, a week after completing the HAT and were surprised that many had already made lifestyle changes. Being given an estimated heart age also makes it easier for people to understand their CVD risk and means that they are more likely to go away and find out more about their heart health – which could ultimately save lives,” says CHAD Research Associate Dr. Victoria Riley, who led the study.
Source: Medindia
