Heart health: Can you guess WHICH age most Britons start worrying about theirs?

However, many Britons tend to ignore their heart health until they’re well into middle age.

New research has found that people usually only start worrying about it at an average age of 48.

Additionally, for one in ten people over 45, they believed they wouldn’t start thinking about it until they hit 60 years.

The researchers, from Fruitflow®+ Omega-3, discovered that most people were only concerned after a major health scare.

This included extreme experiences such as getting breathless when climbing stairs or walking, or feeling their heart racing – a worry for 46 per cent and 39 per cent respectively.

The researchers spoke to 2,000 adults aged 45 years and over.

Interestingly, they found that the Irish were most concerned about their heart health, thinking about it from 40 onwards.

Other triggers that caused people to begin to consider their heart included someone in the family having heart issues, experiencing dizzy spells, starting to feel old and reaching a milestone birthday.

A small number – just two per cent – felt that if their heart was still pumping, there was nothing to worry about.

Dr Niamh O’Kennedy, research scientist specialising in cardiovascular health at the University of Aberdeen, said: “The heart is the body’s hardest working organ – pumping blood that delivers critical nutrients and oxygen to every cell.

“And yet people’s continued neglect of it continues to amaze me. 

“It’s shocking that people don’t consider their heart health until half way through their lives – with one in ten actually admitting that they won’t think about their heart until they are over 60.”

This is in contrast to blood pressure and cholesterol that many are aware of the importance of managing.

Only 11 per cent knew that healthy blood flow is the third most important pillar of cardiovascular health.

Dr Kennedy added: “Sadly what many don’t know is that blood flow deteriorates with age – from as young as 40 – as it gets stickier and more prone to clotting. 

“Taking care of blood flow when you’re younger, ideally from 40 years old, can ensure it will continue to flow smoothly into old age.”