Vital heart check you may need after 40 — but probably haven't heard of

So much for feeling young at heart.

A startling Northwestern University study recently revealed that most Americans’ hearts are aging faster than they are. Men’s tickers were, on average, seven years older than their chronological age, while women’s were approximately four years older.

A higher “heart age” than your actual age means you’re at greater risk for life-threatening conditions like a heart attack or stroke . Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the US, killing around 700,000 Americans each year. 3

Dr. Tom C. Nguyen , chief medical executive at Baptist Health’s Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute , recommends a noninvasive test that assesses your risk for future heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular events.

“Healthy patients without a history