The NHS has launched an online tool that predicts when a person will have a heart attack or stroke, an comparing their “heart age” to their biological age.
The tool takes into account a person’s age, weight, smoking status, cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes status, and other factors including family health history to determine their heart health and chance of dying by the UK’s biggest killer, a heart attack.
The calculator also estimates the chance a person has of having a heart attack within the next decade.
Critics have complained that the generalised tool tells all Britons that they will have a heart attack eventually, but supporters say that presenting people with the risk of the UK’s biggest killer will give them a “wake-up call”.
GPs will be asked to promote the new calculator with an aim to encourage patients to take a more active role in monitoring their health and push them to give up smoking or lose weight.
