While your chronological age simply counts the years since birth, your biological age reflects the actual condition of your cells, tissues, organs, and overall health. A 45-year-old who exercises regularly, sleeps well, and eats a balanced diet can have a biological age of 38. Similarly, a 30-year-old who does the exact opposite could have a biological age of 40 or even 50.
So, how can you achieve a younger biological age, or one as close to your actual age as possible? On May 16, Dr Sanjay Bhojraj, a board-certified cardiologist with over 20 years of experience, shares how one can reverse their biological age and have the heart of a 20-year-old.
Biological age
“Biological age is one of those terms that makes everyone either very excited or very annoyed at dinner parties,” the cardiologist noted. He noted that when one talks about ‘younger’ heart health, it is not about “chasing some biohacker badge so you can brag that your mitochondria are in college.” He added, “I’m talking about real-life function.”
According to the expert, a younger cardiovascular system is more flexible, and here’s the not-so-secret: “your heart ages in the exact same environment you put it (and yourself) in.”
“Poor sleep. Chronic stress. Low muscle mass. Inflammation. Too little movement. Years of pretending your body is ‘fine’ because nothing has exploded yet. That’s usually where the damage starts,” he pointed out.
What can you do to make your heart act younger?
But if you wanted to make your heart act younger? Dr Bhojraj suggests starting with the most basic of things that improve vascular function and metabolic resilience, like:
- Building more muscle
- More walking after meals
- Better stress recovery
- Real attention to blood pressure before it becomes a personality trait
And then, he noted that experts should look under the hood. He suggests, “Advanced lipids. Insulin resistance. Inflammation. Vascular health. The stuff that tells us whether your system is ageing faster than your birthday says it should.”
The cardiologist further warned that your doctor can’t give you the heart of a 20-year-old; nobody can. However, he noted that you can absolutely stop ageing your heart faster than it needs to, and that’s the part you should focus on before cardiology stops being theoretical.
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.
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