I’m going to level with you guys. My father was 59 years old when he died. His heart just stopped. As sudden and unexpected as his death was looking back I know that my dad did not take good care of his heart. And I do not want to follow in his footsteps.
Heart Disease is one of the leading causes of death in Canada. I know that a family history of diabetes and heart problems means I have an increased chance of developing Heart Disease. It’s one of those niggling fears that lives in the back of my mind, pokes at me and tells me that I should lose weight, get more physically active and have my cholesterol levels checked again.
I was really intrigued to discover that Shoppers Drug Mart has a scientifically validated tool on their website that measures your Heart Age. It helps calculate your cardiovascular age and assesses your risk of heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular disease over the next 10 years.
It took me less then five minutes to fill out. The questions were easy to answer. Aside from having to break out a measuring tape to double check my waist measurement, everything was either pre-filed out for me or stuff I readily knew the answer to.
The truth is, I was a little worried about taking this test. I am overweight and not physically active enough. There’s a family history of heart problems and diabetes. I was really expecting to “fail” and end up with a calculated heart age older than my calendar age. I was relieved to get a “passing” grade. My heart rated as a few years younger then me. Yay.
This doesn’t change the fact that I know I need to lose some weight and get more physically active. But it gave me a sense of relief. Since my dad passed away back in December, the idea of dropping dead from a heart attack has been weighing on me. Knowing my risk level is in the normal range gives me some peace of mind. I also liked that the Heart Age Calculator listed each of my risk factors and offered suggestions on how to lower them by adapting an active lifestyle, regulating your cholesterol levels and taking control of your blood glucose..
I urge each of you to be aware and take care of your heart. Take the Heart Age Calculator test. It’s five minutes well spent. Knowing your risks, and what steps you can take to lower them, is one of the biggest steps you can take towards a healthy heart.
Want to talk about it? I don’t know about you but I need all the encouragement I can get. If you take the test I’d love to know how you scored. Leave a comment below and we can compare our health goals for the next year.
Disclosure: Although this post has been sponsored by Shoppers Drug Mart Inc., the opinions and language are all my own, and in no way do they reflect the views, opinions or positions of Shoppers Drug Mart Inc. or its affiliates or licensees. Shoppers Drug Mart Inc. makes no representation as to accuracy, completeness, suitability or validity of any information within this blog post and will not be liable for any errors or omissions in this information or for any losses, injuries or damages arising from its display or use.
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