Arteries age slowly and gracefully when nurtured with daily exercise, a healthful diet, and good relationships with family and friends. They age faster when they’re constantly assaulted by cigarette smoke, foods laden with saturated and trans fats, chronic stress, and other traumas. Knowing the true age of your arteries can give a clearer picture of overall heart health, reports the January 2010 issue of the Harvard Heart Letter.

Two available tools estimate artery “age” based on physical characteristics. Measurement of these physical variables in many people has allowed researchers to identify ranges for each that correspond to different chronological ages. A third tool relies on age, cholesterol, and blood pressure information.

Pulse wave velocity. Each heartbeat sends a wave of blood through the arteries. The stiffer the arteries, the faster this wave travels. Measuring the speed of the pulse wave provides information about how stiff or how flexible the arteries are. This is usually done in a doctor's office.

Carotid intima-media thickness. The innermost layer of an artery’s wall is called the intima. The media is the middle layer. The thicker the intima and the media, the more likely the artery is choked with cholesterol-filled plaque. Using ultrasound, a doctor can measure the thickness of the intima and media in the carotid arteries, located in the neck.

Framingham score. Data from the Framingham Heart Study have helped researchers create a cardiovascular risk profile. With answers to a few questions, this tool estimates a person's chances of having a heart attack or stroke, needing bypass surgery or angioplasty, or developing peripheral vascular disease or heart failure. It also estimates the age of the blood vessels.

Since most insurance companies don’t pay for the pulse wave velocity or carotid intima-media tests, the free paper-and-pencil Framingham estimate is a good place to start, notes the Harvard Heart Letter.

Read the full-length article: "How old are your arteries?"