Heart age

The average middle-aged adult’s heart is five years older than its owner, according to research conducted by Lloydspharmacy.

The worst affected group are men who smoke, whose “heart age” is on average 14 years older than the man himself. Non-smoking men have a heart age that is four years older than their actual age.

The women seem to fare a little better — on average there is no difference between the heart age and actual age of non-smoking women.