Most US adults have hearts older than their actual age. How old is yours?

New heart age calculator reframes cardiovascular risk to boost preventive care

Northwestern University

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CHICAGO --- Most U.S. adults have a “heart age” several years older than their chronological age — sometimes by more than a decade. And that gap is wider among men and among those with lower incomes or education or who identify as Black or Hispanic, according to a new study led by Northwestern Medicine.

As part of the study, the Northwestern scientists created a free online tool that calculates a person’s “heart age” based on their risk for cardiovascular disease, using routine health data such as blood pressure, cholesterol levels and whether a person smokes or has diabetes. The study team stressed that the calculator is not a substitute for clinical care and should be used in consultation with a doctor.

The study will be published July 30 in JAMA Cardiology.

Traditionally, heart disease risk has been calculated as a percentage. For example, a health care clinician may tell a patient, “8 out of 100 people with your profile may have a heart event in the next 10 years.” The new calculator, based on the American Heart Association’s PREVENT equations, reframes that risk as an age to make it easier for patients to understand.

“We hope this tool helps doctors and patients discuss risk for heart disease more effectively so we can better inform what therapies can prevent heart attacks, stroke or heart failure events from ever happening,” said senior author Dr. Sadiya Khan, the Magerstadt professor of cardiovascular epidemiology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, who led the development of the PREVENT equations.

Evaluating the tool on Americans

To evaluate the age calculator, Khan and her team tested it on more than 14,000 nationally representative U.S. adults, ages 30 to 79, who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2011 and 2020. All participants had no prior history of cardiovascular disease.

On average, they found that women had a heart age of 55.4, compared to a chronological age of 51.3. For men, the age gap was wider: an average heart age of 56.7 compared to an average chronological age of 49.7.

Among men with a high school education or less, nearly one-third had a heart age more than 10 years older than their actual age. The discordance between heart and chronological age was also significantly wider among adults who identified as Black or Hispanic.

Black men had a heart age 8.5 years older than their actual age, compared to 7.9 years for Hispanic men, 6.7 years for Asian men and 6.4 years for white men. The gaps were 6.2 years for Black women, 4.8 years for Hispanic women, 3.7 years for white women and 2.8 years for Asian women.

Especially important for young adults

Even with major gains in public health, heart disease has remained the leading cause of death in the U.S. for more than a century. That’s partly because many adults who could benefit from preventive care still aren’t getting it, Khan said.

“Many people who should be on medicine to lower their risk for heart attack, stroke or heart failure are not on these medications. We hope this new heart age calculator will help support discussions about prevention and ultimately improve health for all people,” said Khan, who also is an associate professor of medicine (cardiology) at Feinberg and a Northwestern Medicine preventive cardiologist.

“The important thing is that we have very good options available in our toolbox to help slow that aging down if we can identify it. This may be even more important in younger people who don’t often think about their risk for heart disease,” Khan added.

Khan said her team now plan to study whether presenting risk this way improves outcomes and helps people better understand their need for preventive therapies.

The study is titled, “PREVENT Risk Age Equations and Population Distribution in US Adults.”

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Journal

JAMA Cardiology

DOI

10.1001/jamacardio.2025.2427 

Article Title

PREVENT Risk Age Equations and Population Distribution in US Adults

Article Publication Date

30-Jul-2025

 

Debunking a life-threatening myth: "Tongue swallowing prevention" maneuvers delay CPR and might contribute to brain injury or death for collapsed athletes

Analysis in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology exposes media-fueled misconceptions and an urgent need for immediate public and professional re-education

Elsevier

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Philadelphia, July 30, 2025 – Despite widespread public health efforts, the dangerous myth of "prevention of tongue swallowing" continues to persist during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). New research in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology, published by Elsevier, exposes the mainstream and social media’s detrimental role in perpetuating this misconception, which often leads to critical delays in proper CPR for collapsed athletes.

Concern about “tongue swallowing” leads resuscitators to waste valuable time trying to remove the tongue from the airway path, rather than immediately initiating essential CPR procedures. The findings from this analysis underscore an urgent need for global public health campaigns to correct CPR myths and emphasize the importance of immediate chest compressions. The study systematically analyzed 45 cases of athletes collapsing during sports events (1990–2024) that were caught on video or documented online, focusing on initial resuscitation actions and corresponding media coverage.

Commenting on the main findings of the analysis, lead investigator of the article "The Myth of “Tongue Swallowing” Delays Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation of Athletes With Cardiac Arrest, Yet It Is Often Perpetuated by the Media" Dana Viskin, MD, Department of Cardiology, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center and School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, says, “Our analysis showed that in 84% of cases where the initial response was visible, inappropriate maneuvers to ‘prevent tongue swallowing’ were performed before proper CPR. These incorrect actions were significantly associated with poor outcomes: 67% of those receiving such maneuvers died or had severe brain injury, compared to 0% when CPR was the first response.”

Media analysis revealed that nearly half (48%) of high-exposure news articles explicitly used the term “tongue swallowing,” with most praising the lay responder for their actions. In articles describing sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) cases, 77% referenced “tongue swallowing” without acknowledging its inappropriateness as a response to SCA, yet only 23% explicitly criticized the intervention.

“Given that some SCA patients, particularly young males with shockable arrest rhythms, may exhibit seizure-like activity at onset – a pattern frequently observed in sports-related SCA – it is understandable how this myth may have carried into the public response to athletic SCA, despite the absence of clinical guideline support for such an intervention,” points out the author of the accompanying editorial "Countering Misinformation in the Response to Sudden Cardiac Arrest in Athletes" Nicholas Grubic, MSc, Division of Epidemiology, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto. “Furthermore, signs such as cyanosis and agonal respirations can be mistaken for choking, often prompting bystanders to prioritize airway inspection over initiating CPR. Recent qualitative research has confirmed that such misinterpretations can delay or even interrupt life-saving interventions. Although promoting CPR and automated external defibrillator (AED) knowledge remains a cornerstone of SCA education, teaching the public to recognize the early signs of an arrest is equally critical, as every second without action drastically reduces the chance of survival.”

This research is especially important now, as public CPR education becomes increasingly vital with widespread media exposure to cardiac arrests in sports.

"Our study highlights the dangerous and persistent misconception of ‘tongue swallowing prevention,’ which can delay the initiation of life-saving chest compressions. These delays may cost lives, and yet the media often praise such misguided actions as heroic. We urgently need to re-educate the public and the media and reframe the narrative around CPR, especially in sports," emphasizes Dr. Viskin.

Mr. Grubic adds in conclusion, “Coordinated, evidence-informed communication strategies are essential to counter misinformation and support public understanding, particularly in high-stakes situations such as the response to SCA in athletes. Our public capacity to save lives should not be impeded by misinformed voices – now is the time for the academic, healthcare, and media sectors to join forces and build a healthier information environment for all. Responding to SCA is a team sport that starts with proper education to ensure that everyone is ready to step in, stay focused, and act. Although the prize is not a trophy, it is something much more valuable.”

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Journal

Canadian Journal of Cardiology

DOI

10.1016/j.cjca.2025.06.002 

Method of Research

Data/statistical analysis

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

The Myth of “Tongue Swallowing” Delays Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation of Athletes With Cardiac Arrest, Yet It Is Often Perpetuated by the Media

Article Publication Date

30-Jul-2025

Developing next-generation analytical technique for gene and cell doping and ensuring ethics and fairness in sports

Using gene scissors to develop a rapid gene and cell doping detection test

National Research Council of Science & Technology

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Gene and cell doping typically utilizes genes that encode proteins that can enhance athletic performance, and can evade current protein-level drug monitoring anti-doping tests.

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Credit: Korea Institute of Science and Technology(KIST)

Changmin Sung, a principal researcher at the Doping Control Center at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), announced that he and his collaborators at the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Korea University have developed a high-throughput multiplexed gene and cell doping analysis (HiMDA) based on gene scissors (CRISPR-Cas).

Unethical doping practices to enhance athletic performance is becoming more sophisticated with the use of advanced technology, and gene and cell doping - the use of gene or cell therapies to manipulate body functions - poses a serious threat to fairness in sports. Gene-based drugs such as insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I) and erythropoietin (EPO), which can maximize strength and endurance, are likely to be abused by athletes in some sports as a means of performance enhancement. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has prohibited this practice since 2003, but diagnostic techniques that can accurately identify gene and cell doping are still in early stage.

Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR)-based gene testing has been piloted at the Tokyo Summer Olympics since the World Anti-Doping Agency first published guidelines for genetic doping in 2021. Current protein-level doping analytical methods cannot clearly distinguish between exogenous genetic targets that produces proteins structurally identical to endogenous proteins. This has led to the need for new analytical platforms that can distinguish exogenous genes at the DNA level.

The HiMDA directly amplifies the target gene from the blood without complex sample preparation, and then applies CRISPR-Cas, the Nobel Prize-winning gene editing technology to determine the presence of the exogenous gene rapidly and precisely. By injecting representative gene doping substances such as hGH, EPO, IGF-I into an experimental mouse model and applying the assay platform, the researchers were able to accurately detect exogenous genes at the 2.5 copies within 90 minutes using as little as 5 μL (microliters) of blood sample, less than half the size of a fingertip drop. This demonstrated superior performance in both sensitivity and specificity compared to existing assays.

The developed assay is not limited to doping tests, but is considered to be a platform-based diagnostic technology that can be applied to early diagnosis of infectious diseases, detection of antibiotic resistance genes, genetic disease testing, evaluation of cell therapy drug adaptability, and precision medicine. Currently, the technology is undergoing the certification process to be adopted as a World Anti-Doping Agency-approved method, and is attracting attention as a next-generation anti-doping testing platform that can respond to various new doping methods based on genes and proteins.

"By applying gene editing technology to doping tests, this study provides a practical solution that can overcome the limitations of existing techniques and contribute to protecting sports ethics and fairness," said Changmin Sung, a principal researcher at KIST. "It has the potential to develop into a core foundation for precision medicine and genetic diagnostic technologies in the future."

  

Very trace amounts of doping genes and transgenic cell models spiked in blood are amplified directly without nucleic acid extraction, and the presence or absence of targets is then confirmed by sequence-dependent fluorescence reaction of Cas12a, a type of gene scissors. The entire analysis time from blood to readout is as short as 90 minutes.

The advantage is that doping genes in blood can be amplified without nucleic acid extraction, reducing the time and labor required for extraction. This allows multiple blood samples to be processed simultaneously for high-throughput processing and analysis.

The advantage is that doping genes in blood can be amplified without nucleic acid extraction, reducing the time and labor required for extraction. This allows multiple blood samples to be processed simultaneously for high-throughput processing and analysis.

Credit

Korea Institute of Science and Technology(KIST)

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KIST was established in 1966 as the first government-funded research institute in Korea. KIST now strives to solve national and social challenges and secure growth engines through leading and innovative research. For more information, please visit KIST’s website at https://www.kist.re.kr/eng/index.do

This research was supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) under the KIST Institutional Program and the World Anti-Doping Agency Research Support Program (241E07CS). The findings were published in the latest issue of the international journal Science Advances (IF 12.5, JCR top 8.5%).

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Journal

Science Advances

DOI

10.1126/sciadv.adv7234 

Article Title

High-throughput multiplexed gene and cell doping analysis through CRISPR-Cas12a system integrated with blood direct PCR

Article Publication Date

29-Jul-2025

MISOGYNISTIC TOXIC MASCULINITY

Women politicians receive more identity-based attacks on social media than men, study finds

Cambridge University Press

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Women politicians in Europe receive uncivil tweets regardless of how known they are – and woman also receive more identity-based attacks than other politicians, revealed a new study in Politics & Gender, published on behalf of the American Political Science Association by Cambridge University Press. 

This study used a machine learning approach to analyse over 23 million tweets addressed to politicians in Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States, to determine the degree of incivility that female politicians face. Women in politics frequently report serious online harassment, yet the extent of this harassment and how it compares to harassment experienced by men remains understudied, or uses surveys with varying response rates. This new research aimed to address this gap. 

The research found that more prominent politicians in the US, both male and female, have a higher likelihood of receiving uncivil tweets. However, women in the study’s European sample experience online incivility regardless of whether they are prominent or not, potentially creating additional barriers for women entering politics.  

This incivility can include everything from sexist and misogynistic remarks to attempts to defame or humiliate, to violent threats. 

Lead researcher Maarja Lühiste, Associate Professor in politics at Newcastle University, noted how incivility and threats typically differ depending on the gender of the person being addressed. 

“We noticed that female candidates targeted with abusive language typically receive more morality-focused words, such as ‘vile’, ‘shame’, ‘shameful’, ‘disgraceful’, ‘hypocrite’, ‘deluded’,” Lühiste said. 

“They also receive messages with more references to personal attacks – including words like ‘kill’, ‘destroy’, and ‘rape’ – rather than simple swear words.” 

The research also founds that uncivil tweets targeted at Spanish and German politicians appear to use fewer deliberately abusive words than in the US and the UK – making the impoliteness sound comparatively polite. 

What counts as an uncivil tweet?  

The researchers defined uncivil tweets as ones that contained one or more of the following elements:  

• assigning stereotypes or hate speech; 

• undermining or excluding a social group (e.g. “women should stay at home 
  rather than do politics”); 

• threatening one’s rights (freedom to speak, life preferences); 

• name-calling (“weirdo”, “idiot”); 

• aspersion (“liar”, “traitor”); 

• pejorative speak or vulgarity; 

• sarcasm; 

• ALL CAPS; 

• words or sentiments that are incendiary, obscene, or humiliating. 

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Journal

Politics & Gender

DOI

10.1017/S1743923X25100111 

Method of Research

Data/statistical analysis

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Women politicians receive more identity-based attacks on social media than men, study finds

Article Publication Date

30-Jul-2025

STEM IS DEI

Positive ethnic identity fosters STEM career aspirations

UC Riverside psychology scholars collaborate with Chicago science museum for study on minority youth

University of California - Riverside

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Aerika Brittian Loyd and Tate LeBlanc

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Credit: UC Riverside

When Black and Latino youth aspire toward careers in science and technology, their confidence in exploring career possibilities and how they think society views their ethnic-racial group can play a crucial role in whether their dreams take root.

Such is a finding of a study by UC Riverside associate professor of psychology Aerika Brittian Loyd, UCR doctoral candidate Tate LeBlanc, and co-authors published in the Journal for STEM Education Research.

Middle and high school students who voiced higher expectations of success in exploring different career paths — along with perceptions that their racial group was viewed more positively in society — were more likely to be interested in careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), the study found.

“Our goal was to better understand what shapes early STEM aspirations among youth of color,” said LeBlanc, who led the study. “We found that few studies since 1999 have focused on early adolescents of color in this space — especially studies that look at ethnic identity and career expectations side by side.”

Loyd said the findings highlight the importance of culturally affirming science education from an early age. That starts, she said, with representation — both in the curriculum and in the classroom.

“Who are the scientists kids are learning about? Who’s teaching them about science?” Loyd asked. “If students of color only learn about white male scientists, they have to bridge that gap themselves. We can help close that gap by introducing them to a diverse group of scientists and educators who reflect their own communities.”

The research draws from surveys of middle and high school students from a larger National Science Foundation-funded project that evaluated the impact of visiting an exhibit at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago that focused on health issues affecting the surrounding communities. 

The goal of the larger study was to help students see how science could be applied to improve public health in their own neighborhoods and how STEM and health careers could empower them to make a difference. The study included 764 students, ages 11 to 17, who were surveyed about their STEM aspirations, career outcome expectations, and ethnic-racial identity.

The paper identified an indirect but powerful relationship between career exploration, social support, and identity.

Students who felt more confident in their ability to seek out information about different careers were more likely to report that their teachers, parents, and peers recognized their interest and talent in STEM. In turn, this was related to beliefs that society held positive views of their racial or ethnic group. That sense of positive regard was linked to stronger STEM aspirations.

“These ideas are connected,” Loyd said. “When students feel recognized, it shapes how they think society sees them, which may strengthen their motivation to pursue these careers.”

While not all students in the study expressed strong STEM aspirations, the authors found a broad base of “developing interest” across the sample. They caution against assuming low interest among underrepresented groups and instead recommend policies and curricula that nurture those early aspirations.

The paper’s title is “Examining the associations between ethnic‑racial identity, career outcome expectations, and STEM aspirations among Black and Latine adolescents.” Its co-authors are Juan Ramón Arvizu‑Sevilla and Bernadette Sanchez from the University of Illinois Chicago and Lauren Applebaum from the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.

Loyd and LeBlanc recommend that children and youth of color be introduced to STEM role models in early education; that science lessons reflect real-world challenges in students’ communities; that STEM educators reflect diversity; and that exploration and creativity in science outside traditional classrooms be encouraged.

Click here for more information.

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Journal

Journal for STEM Education Research

DOI

10.1007/s41979-025-00156-1 

Method of Research

Survey

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Examining the Associations Between Ethnic-Racial Identity, Career Outcome Expectations, and STEM Aspirations Among Black and Latine Adolescents

Article Publication Date

29-Jul-2025