TODAY (Sept 29) marks World Heart Day and the British Heart Foundation, Public Health England (PHE) and NHS Choices (NHSC) are encouraging people to use an innovative online tool to find out how old their heart is and know their cardiovascular risk.

New figures from a study funded by BHF reveal more than 700 people in Dorset died from cardiovascular diseases in two years (2012-14), with 9,633 deaths across the South West.

The older a person’s heart age, the higher their risk of a cardiovascular event, such as a stroke or heart attack. A heart age greater than 70 increases the risk significantly.

A staggering four in five people over 30 have a heart age older than their chronological age, making them more likely to have a potentially fatal heart attack or stroke, according to a study of 575,000 people.

And nearly nine in 10 men under 40 - 87 per cent - had a heart older than they were, compared to 41 per cent of women of the same age. Of these, more than a quarter had a heart age greater than their chronological age by at least five years.

The study, the largest of its kind, also found a significant proportion of the public were unaware of their own cardiovascular risk factors.

Jamie Waterall, national lead for cardiovascular disease prevention, Public Health England, said: "Even though you may not have symptoms, having a heart age higher than your own age indicates an increased risk of serious illness. The Heart Age Tool gives an immediate indication of a person’s potential risk and what they can start doing to reduce it."

People can find out how old their heart is and how to manage their risk by visiting bhf.org.uk/heartage