How Old Are Your Arteries?

Thomas Sydenham, a famous doctor and founder of clinical medicine and epidemiology, once said, “A man is as old as his arteries.” Since blood vessels are responsible for multiple functions, such as the transportation of nutrients and oxygen throughout the body, once the blood vessels age, the risk of cardiovascular disease will increase significantly. You may think arteriosclerosis is a disease of old age. However, for most people, the blood vessels can start to harden as early as the age of 20, and some factors can even make it happen in childhood.

How do you know your risk of arteriosclerosis? How can you reduce it? Let’s start with a quick test.

Arteriosclerosis Self-test

1. Depression
2. Eating much more meat than vegetables
3. Eating refined carbohydrates frequently
4. Lack of exercise
5. Smoking a lot (more than 8 cigarettes daily)
6. Forgetfulness
7. Chest pain or tightness when climbing stairs
8. Coldness and numbness in hands or feet
9. Elevated blood pressure ( >120/80 mmHg)
10. Elevated cholesterol ( >130 mg/dL)
11. Elevated blood sugar ( >5.6 mmol/L while fasting)
12. Family history of coronary heart disease or stroke

Check all 12 items and add 1 point for each that is met.

0 to 4: your blood vessels are normal.

5 to 8: your blood vessels are about 10 years old than your age.

9 to 12: your blood vessels are about 20 years older than your age.

If you score more than 4, you need to take good care of yourself.

The Causes of Arteriosclerosis

From the self-test above, you can already guess some of the causes of arteriosclerosis. High blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, smoking, lack of exercise, and depression are all risk factors for arteriosclerosis.

One cause of arteriosclerosis is the buildup of fats growing into plaques and blocking the artery. The plaque will reduce the flexibility of your artery walls and restrict your blood flow and oxygen supply.

How to Keep Your Arteries Young?

Basically, do the opposite of the self-test to keep yourself safe from arteriosclerosis, for example:

1. Quitting smoking and alcohol
2. Having a balanced diet
3. Exercising regularly
4. Maintaining a healthy weight
5. Maintaining healthy blood pressure, cholesterol, and sugar levels
6. Keeping a positive attitude and stable mood

In summary, maintaining a healthy lifestyle to protect your arteries is essential for overall cardiovascular health. To effectively improve arterial health, consider Frequency Healing, which supports cellular health and helps maintain youthful blood vessels.