How old does your birth certificate say you are? How old do you feel? The best predictor of how long you’ll live? It’s actually a stress test’s ‘estimated age.’
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Cleveland Clinic researchers have developed a tool to calculate a person’s physiological age based on their exercise performance during a stress test. They found it’s a better predictor of how long they’ll live vs. their actual age.
What they examined
Researchers studied 126,356 patients who were referred for exercise treadmill testing at Cleveland Clinic between Jan. 1, 1991, and Feb. 27, 2015. They evaluated whether a patient’s estimated age based on their exercise performance is a better predictor of mortality than their chronological age.
The average age of study participants was 53.5 years old and 59% were male. The paper was published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.
This new tool is a better predictor of lifespan
The study found that the estimated age based on exercise performance was better in predicting survival than the patients’ actual age. This held true for both men and women. Among those included, 55% of males and 57% of females between the ages of 50 and 60 years had an estimated age younger than their chronological age.
The formula to estimate physiological age was developed based on exercise variables that were collected at the time of the patient’s stress test.
Why this new research is important
The study further confirmed that all exercise variables included in estimating physiological age were powerful predictors of survival, including exercise capacity, chronotropic competence (heart rate response to exercise) and heart rate recovery.
“Physiological age based on your exercise performance on stress testing is an even better predictor on how long you will live,” says cardiologist and study’s first author Serge Harb, MD.
The key take-home message for patients is to exercise more ― and for healthcare providers to use this physiological age as a way to motivate their patients to improve their exercise performance. For the first time, we can quantify the impact of your performance level on a treadmill test in adding or subtracting years from your actual age.
According to the CDC, heart disease is the leading cause of death among women and men in the United States. Stress testing is a common diagnostic tool for cardiovascular disease.
It’s important to note that the study analyzed findings from a large population. You should always check with your healthcare provider before starting an exercise program.
VO2Max: Bruce Protocol
Quickly measure and calculate your VO2Max and cardiovascular capacity
VO2Max is a measurement of your body’s ability to process a volume of oxygen and is indexed to your body mass. Achieving and maintaining a healthy cardiovascular system is one of the most important aspects of fitness. Because it measures your body’s capacity to process oxygen, it serves as a good indicator of how much you can safely exert yourself during exercise.
Bruce Protocol
Purpose
Estimate the body’s ability to deliver and extract oxygen to determine cardiovascular fitness level.
Equipment
Treadmill
Procedure
Bruce test is considered a maximal exercise test where the athlete or client runs to complete fatigue as the treadmill speed and incline are increased every three minutes. Record total running time.
Stages
- Stage 1 = 1.7 mph at 10% Grade
- Stage 2 = 2.5 mph at 12% Grade
- Stage 3 = 3.4 mph at 14% Grade
- Stage 4 = 4.2 mph at 16% Grade
- Stage 5 = 5.0 mph at 18% Grade
- Stage 6 = 5.5 mph at 20% Grade
- Stage 7 = 6.0 mph at 22% Grade
- Stage 8 = 6.5 mph at 24% Grade
- Stage 9 = 7.0 mph at 26% Grade
Bruce Protocol Calculation
Calculation Result
DATE | - |
VO2Max (mL/kg · min) | - |
VO2Max Classification | - |
VO2Max Classification Chart
Male: 18-25 y/o
Superior | 60 | > 60.0 |
Excellent | 52 | 59.9 |
Above Average | 47 | 51.9 |
Average | 42 | 46.9 |
Below Average | 37 | 41.9 |
Poor | 30 | 36.9 |
Very Poor | 0 | 29.9 |
Male: 26-35 y/o
Superior | 56 | > 56.0 |
Excellent | 49 | 55.9 |
Above Average | 43 | 48.9 |
Average | 40 | 42.9 |
Below Average | 35 | 39.9 |
Poor | 30 | 34.9 |
Very Poor | 0 | 29.9 |
Male: 36-45 y/o
Superior | 51 | > 51.0 |
Excellent | 43 | 50.9 |
Above Average | 39 | 42.9 |
Average | 35 | 38.9 |
Below Average | 31 | 34.9 |
Poor | 26 | 30.9 |
Very Poor | 0 | 25.9 |
Male: 46-55 y/o
Superior | 45 | > 45.0 |
Excellent | 39 | 44.9 |
Above Average | 36 | 38.9 |
Average | 32 | 35.9 |
Below Average | 29 | 31.9 |
Poor | 25 | 28.9 |
Very Poor | 0 | 24.9 |
Male: 56-65 y/o
Superior | 41 | > 41.0 |
Excellent | 36 | 40.9 |
Above Average | 32 | 35.9 |
Average | 30 | 31.9 |
Below Average | 26 | 29.9 |
Poor | 22 | 25.9 |
Very Poor | 0 | 21.9 |
Male: 66-100 y/o
Superior | 37 | > 37.0 |
Excellent | 33 | 36.9 |
Above Average | 29 | 32.9 |
Average | 26 | 28.9 |
Below Average | 22 | 25.9 |
Poor | 20 | 21.9 |
Very Poor | 0 | 19.9 |
Female: 18-25 y/o
Superior | 56 | > 56.0 |
Excellent | 47 | 55.9 |
Above Average | 42 | 46.9 |
Average | 38 | 41.9 |
Below Average | 33 | 37.9 |
Poor | 28 | 32.9 |
Very Poor | 0 | 27.9 |
Female: 26-35 y/o
Superior | 52 | > 52.0 |
Excellent | 45 | 51.9 |
Above Average | 39 | 44.9 |
Average | 35 | 38.9 |
Below Average | 31 | 34.9 |
Poor | 26 | 30.9 |
Very Poor | 0 | 25.9 |
Female: 36-45 y/o
Superior | 45 | > 45.0 |
Excellent | 38 | 44.9 |
Above Average | 34 | 37.9 |
Average | 31 | 33.9 |
Below Average | 27 | 30.9 |
Poor | 22 | 26.9 |
Very Poor | 0 | 21.9 |
Female: 46-55 y/o
Superior | 40 | > 40.0 |
Excellent | 34 | 39.9 |
Above Average | 31 | 33.9 |
Average | 28 | 30.9 |
Below Average | 25 | 27.9 |
Poor | 20 | 24.9 |
Very Poor | 0 | 19.9 |
Female: 56-65 y/o
Superior | 37 | > 37.0 |
Excellent | 32 | 36.9 |
Above Average | 28 | 31.9 |
Average | 25 | 27.9 |
Below Average | 22 | 24.9 |
Poor | 18 | 21.9 |
Very Poor | 0 | 17.9 |
Female: 66-100 y/o
Superior | 32 | > 32.0 |
Excellent | 28 | 31.9 |
Above Average | 25 | 27.9 |
Average | 22 | 24.9 |
Below Average | 19 | 21.9 |
Poor | 17 | 18.9 |
Very Poor | 0 | 16.9 |