Chest x-ray aortic size and risk of death and cardiovascular disease in older Chinese: Guangzhou biobank cohort study.

Summary: Did you know a simple, cheap chest x-ray can help predict your heart health? Doctors looked at over 27,000 older adults and found that measuring the size of the main blood vessel in the chest (the aorta) on a regular x-ray can show if someone is at a higher risk for heart disease or death. People with a wider or longer aorta had more heart problems later on. High blood pressure was a big reason for this stretching. The good news? Getting your blood pressure under control can help protect your heart and blood vessels!