Is your heart aging too fast?

Research published today shows how an MRI scan can reveal your heart's functional age -- and how unhealthy lifestyles can dramatically accelerate this figure.

It is hoped that the findings could transform how heart disease is diagnosed -- offering a lifeline to millions by catching problems before they become deadly.

The team say their cutting-edge technique is a "game changer."

Lead researcher Dr Pankaj Garg, from UEA's Norwich Medical School and a consultant cardiologist at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, said: "Imagine finding out that your heart is 'older' than you are. For people with conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, or obesity, this is often the case.

"Our new MRI approach doesn't just count your birthdays -- it measures how well your heart is holding up."

Led by UEA, the research team collaborated with hospitals in the UK, Spain, and Singapore. They studied MRI scans from 557 people -- 191 healthy individuals and 366 with conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, or obesity.

Using advanced imaging, they measured things like the size and strength of the heart's chambers. Then, they built a formula to calculate the heart's 'functional age' and checked it against healthy hearts to make sure it was accurate.

Dr Garg said: "We found that an MRI scan can reveal your heart's 'functional age' -- how old it acts, not how old you are.

"In healthy people, we found that heart age was similar to chronological age. But for patients with things like diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and atrial fibrillation -- their functional heart age was significantly higher.

"For example, a 50-year-old with high blood pressure might have a heart that works like it's 55.

"People with health issues like diabetes or obesity often have hearts that are aging faster than they should -- sometimes by decades. So, this could help doctors step in early to stop heart disease in its tracks.

"This is a game-changer for keeping hearts healthier, longer.

"Heart disease is one of the world's biggest killers. Our new MRI method gives doctors a powerful tool to look inside the heart like never before and spot trouble early -- before symptoms even start.

"By knowing your heart's true age, patients could get advice or treatments to slow down the aging process, potentially preventing heart attacks or strokes.

"It could also be the wake-up call people need to take better care of themselves -- whether that's eating healthier, exercising more, or following their doctor's advice. It's about giving people a fighting chance against heart disease," he added.

PhD Student Hosam Assadi, also from UEA's Norwich Medical School, said: "It's thrilling to see how this MRI technique could change lives. We've found a way to spot hearts that are aging too fast, and that could mean catching problems early enough to fix them. I hope this could become a standard check-up for hearts in the future."

This research was led by UEA in collaboration with the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the National Heart Research Institute Singapore, the University of Sheffield, the Hospital San Juan de Dios (Spain), Barts Health NHS Trust, Leiden University Medical Center (The Netherlands), the University of Leeds, and the National University of Singapore.

It was funded by Wellcome.