What your heart age means
Heart age translates a risk percentage into something easier to feel. If you are 50 and your heart age is 50, your risk factors are not adding years. If it is 60, your predicted chance of a cardiovascular event over the next 10 years matches that of a 60-year-old with normal blood pressure and cholesterol who doesn't smoke or have diabetes.
It is not a measure of how your heart looks or works on a scan. It is a way to see the combined effect of risk factors, and how much of your risk is within your control.
How risk factors change heart age
Example heart ages for a 50-year-old with total cholesterol 200 and HDL 50, calculated with the same model this calculator uses.
| Profile (age 50) | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Systolic BP 125, non-smoker, no diabetes | 50 | 51 |
| Systolic BP 150, untreated | 57 | 64 |
| Current smoker | 62 | 64 |
| Diabetes | 61 | 69 |
| Smoker with systolic BP 150 | 70 | 80 |
Smoking and diabetes each add several years on their own, and factors compound: a smoker with high blood pressure can carry a heart age well into their 60s at 50.
Heart age vs. your risk score
Heart age is best for understanding risk. For decisions about cholesterol medication, clinicians use guideline scores: the PREVENT calculator the 2026 ACC/AHA guideline recommends, or the older 10-year ASCVD risk calculator. See what an ASCVD risk score means for the ranges.
The percentages on this page will look higher than an ASCVD or PREVENT-ASCVD score for the same person. That is expected: the Framingham general model counts more kinds of events, including heart failure and angina.
Who should not use this calculator
- Anyone who has had a heart attack, stroke, stent, bypass surgery, or heart failure.
- People younger than 30 or older than 74, the ages the model was built for.
- Anyone with symptoms right now. Heart age cannot rule out a heart attack happening today — know the warning signs and call 911.
Heart age calculator: FAQ
What is heart age?
Heart age (also called vascular age) turns cardiovascular risk into an age. It is the age of a person of the same sex whose blood pressure and cholesterol are normal, who does not smoke and does not have diabetes, and whose predicted 10-year risk equals yours. If you are 50 and your heart age is 58, your risk looks like that of a healthy 58-year-old.
What is a good heart age?
A heart age at or below your actual age is a good result: it means your risk factors are not adding years. A heart age a few years above your age is common in adults with one risk factor, and a gap of 10 years or more usually means several factors are worth addressing with your clinician.
How is heart age calculated?
This calculator uses the 2008 Framingham Heart Study general cardiovascular risk model. It combines sex, age, total and HDL cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, blood pressure treatment, smoking, and diabetes into a 10-year risk, then solves for the age at which a person with normal risk factors (systolic BP 125, total cholesterol 180, HDL 45, non-smoker, no diabetes) would have the same risk.
My heart age is older than my real age. What should I do?
Look at which factor adds the most years; the example table on this page shows how much smoking, blood pressure, and diabetes typically contribute. Then share the result with your clinician, who can confirm your numbers and discuss blood pressure, cholesterol, and smoking cessation. A higher heart age is an estimate of long-term risk, not a diagnosis, and it does not mean something is wrong right now.
Can I lower my heart age?
Yes. Quitting smoking, bringing blood pressure down, raising HDL, and lowering total cholesterol all reduce calculated heart age. Your actual age keeps rising, but improving risk factors can close the gap between the two numbers.
Why is my heart age result different from my ASCVD or PREVENT score?
They answer different questions with different models. Heart age uses the Framingham general cardiovascular model, which counts a wider set of events (including heart failure, angina, and peripheral artery disease), so its percentages run higher. ASCVD and PREVENT-ASCVD scores predict heart attack and stroke and are the ones guidelines use for treatment decisions. Use heart age to understand your risk and the guideline scores to discuss treatment.
Sources and editorial notes
- D'Agostino RB Sr, et al. General Cardiovascular Risk Profile for Use in Primary Care: The Framingham Heart Study. Circulation. 2008;117(6):743–753.
- Framingham Heart Study — Cardiovascular Disease (10-year risk)
By HeartRiskCalc Editorial Team · Published . Checked against the Framingham Heart Study's published calculator. Not independently reviewed by a clinician. Educational information only.