In blog post #12, I had written about a genetic test that estimated my biological age by looking at how my lifestyle habits (food, exercise, sleep, stress, environment, etc.) impacted my epigenome. This test estimated that my biological age (40) was about 11 years younger than my chronological age at the time I did my test (51). Recently I looked at an equally interesting metric that the Oura Ring versions 3 and 4 provide – cardiovascular age. This metric estimates the age of the heart relative to one’s chronological age. Interestingly, even though it is a different metric, using a different type of technology and from a different company, my cardiovascular age is very similar (12 years younger than my calendar-based age). In today’s post #42, I write about the specific lifestyle interventions one can focus on to help improve their cardiovascular age (and in the process their overall biological age as well).
Before I get into this topic, I do want to announce that, post the excellent results and feedback from our first-ever 28-Day Community Wellness Challenge conducted in January, I am launching my next one on March 6th (with registration closing on February 25th). We have tweaked the format a bit so we focus on practically building 4 key habits that I have seen impact my health in a meaningful way. As part of the program, you get access to the same simple tools I use (a WhatsApp based tool and an App based tool) to track your lifestyle and answer any questions you have, four video sessions where I walk through the science behind, benefits of, and practical tips for each habit, and finally, I provide effective ways to slowly but surely build these habits so they are sustainable. If you are willing to invest 5 to 10 minutes a day in your health for the long term, this program will be well worth it. It will not feel overwhelming or like you are making a sacrifice, but rather will actually be fun. If you have a friend or family member you want to do this with, even better. Sign up for the program by clicking here; registration for this session closes on February 25th. If you want to watch the video introduction to the challenge, click here.
Back to today’s topic: Let’s start with a quick introduction to how the cardiovascular age is measured. The Oura Ring (versions 3 and 4) estimates cardiovascular age by assessing arterial stiffness, a key marker of heart health and biological aging. It uses photoplethysmography (PPG), a non-invasive optical technique where the Oura Ring emits light through the skin and detects changes in blood volume with each heartbeat. These fluctuations (measured by a photo detector) allow it to measure pulse wave velocity (PWV) — the speed at which pressure waves move through the arteries which provides information about the arterial stiffness.
When arteries are young and flexible, blood moves more slowly because the vessels expand and contract efficiently. In contrast, stiff arteries allow blood to move faster, increasing PWV, which correlates with an older cardiovascular age. Oura integrates PWV with other heart-related metrics, such as resting heart rate (RHR), heart rate variability (HRV), and nighttime blood oxygen saturation (SpO2), to refine its cardiovascular age estimate.
In my case, I have significant calcification in my arteries because of my heart disease diagnosis, which means increased arterial stiffening relative to someone without heart disease. In spite of that, having a heart that has aged 12 years slower is a sign of the power of lifestyle interventions to make a positive impact on one’s health. Let’s get into what specific lifestyle interventions have been helpful to keep the arteries from stiffening, and how to keep our hearts young!
- Boost nitric oxide
Nitric Oxide (NO) relaxes blood vessels, improving flexibility. I eat nitrate-rich foods like spinach, arugula, and beets. Sunlight and exercise also helps with boosting NO, both of which I make sure to get plenty of. - Increase omega-3 intake
Omega-3s reduce arterial stiffness and inflammation. I personally get my Omega-3 from walnuts, flaxseeds, and a daily Omega-3 supplement, but for fish eaters, any fatty fish (salmon, sardines) are a great source as well. - Strength training & aerobic exercise
Strength training and cardio improve arterial elasticity. I combine my strength training 3x a week with walking 7x a week and soccer 2x a week. - Maintain insulin sensitivity
High insulin contributes to arterial stiffness. I track my fasting insulin and ensure I manage my glucose spikes with the salad before every meal habit thereby increasing my fiber intake, upping my protein intake for muscle mass purposes, keeping my carbs at a healthy 50% of my overall calories and keeping a practical 14-hour intermittent fasting window. - Manage stress & improve sleep
Chronic stress and poor sleep increase arterial stiffness. Deep breathing and meditation are excellent practices (which I am still working on incorporating into my daily life). Magnesium supplements can improve relaxation and improve sleep quality, which I have discontinued given that my magnesium levels have improved. Finally, quality sleep supports blood vessel health; an area that I have shown small but steady improvements. - Optimize magnesium & potassium
Magnesium (dark chocolate, almonds, spinach) and potassium (bananas, sweet potatoes, beans) help arteries stay flexible and reduce blood pressure. I have been able to do reasonably well on both. - Reduce fried foods & increase polyphenols
Avoid fried and overly grilled foods and opt for steaming, boiling, or slow cooking. I find every excuse to eat more polyphenol-rich foods like berries and green tea because they help counteract the impact of fried foods. - Maintain healthy uric acid levels
High uric acid (above 6.5-7.0 mg/dL) is linked to arterial stiffness. Staying hydrated (I use my app to track and ensure I have my 2.5 to 3 liters of water per day), limiting fructose intake (I have pretty much eliminated fruit juices), and increasing my dairy (yoghurt and chaas) and vitamin C (I consume a lot of raw bell peppers and oranges) helps lower uric acid levels naturally.
You will notice that most of the interventions I have mentioned above, have been covered in my previous posts. In other words, it is the same set of ten to twelve habits that I have built and stacked over time that impact key healthspan markers, whether it is biological age, cardiovascular age, improving metabolic health markers, or reducing parameters like HRV, RHR, etc.
If you want to be part of a community where you can build 4 of these key habits, do sign up for the 28-Day Community Wellness Challenge.
As always, leave your comments on whether you found this helpful, anything you think I could do better, and any topics that I should be covering. Until next time …
Disclaimer
Views expressed above are the author’s own.
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