Cardiovascular Health Assessment

VO2 Max is one of the most powerful predictors of longevity and overall physiological fitness across all age groups. Lifestyle changes including diet, exercise, sleep, and stress reduction can halt or reverse CAC score progression. Cardiovascular health assessment is presented as relying on objective tests rather than self-reported feelings. The article uses cardiology to illustrate why relying only on subjective feelings would be considered inadequate in physical medicine. The article states that patients would expect measurable data when evaluating heart health. HRV measures millisecond-to-millisecond variation between heartbeats and reflects the balance between sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system activity. The CAC test uses a low-dose CT scan to quantify calcium deposits in coronary artery walls, with a target score of zero. VO2 Max measures maximum oxygen consumption during intense exercise and reflects both cardiovascular capacity and mitochondrial efficiency. Lower HRV correlates with higher cardiovascular mortality risk. Low HRV on a given morning indicates the body needs recovery rather than intense training.