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Self-checks

Heart healthy habits self-check

A short self-check on everyday habits linked to heart health, covering diet, movement and rest, written for a life shaped by motorbike commutes and street food.

3-5 minutes15 questions

Think about a typical week over the past month, including work days, weekends and any travel. Answer with your actual habits rather than what you think a heart healthy routine should look like. This is about patterns you can change, not a measurement of your current heart health.

Diet and daily intakeMovement and activityRest and stress

This is an original set of habit questions, not a cardiovascular risk calculator such as Framingham or SCORE, and it does not estimate your actual risk of heart disease. A real risk estimate needs blood pressure, cholesterol and age entered into a validated tool by a doctor, so book a check up if heart disease runs in your family or you have symptoms such as chest discomfort or breathlessness.

A typical month, not a perfect week

Looking at a month rather than a single week keeps the result closer to your real routine, including busier stretches.

Diet, movement and rest apart

Salt and sugar habits, physical activity and sleep or stress are scored separately so you can see where the biggest gap is.

Habits, not a risk number

This result names habits worth adjusting. It never estimates your actual cardiovascular risk, which needs a clinical test.

Street food often means more salt and sugar than you realise

Vietnamese cuisine is often praised for fresh herbs and vegetables, but broths, sauces and condiments used in everyday street food can carry more salt than a home-cooked equivalent, and sweetened drinks such as iced coffee or tea are a common daily habit. Neither is a problem occasionally, but eating this way most days without any lower-sodium or lower-sugar alternative can add up over months.

The motorbike replaces walking for most errands

In cities built around motorbike traffic, a short errand that might involve walking elsewhere becomes a five-minute ride instead. That convenience is real, but it also removes small amounts of daily movement that add up over a week. Deliberately walking or cycling for some errands, or taking stairs instead of a lift, can help offset a routine that otherwise involves very little activity outside a desk.

Heat affects how much people actually move and sleep

High heat and humidity discourage outdoor exercise during the day and can disrupt sleep if air conditioning is inconsistent or a room stays warm through the night. Many residents shift exercise to early morning or evening to avoid the worst of the heat, and that adjustment, along with consistent sleep timing, plays a real part in heart healthy habits beyond diet alone.

Before you start

Does this tell me my risk of heart disease?

No. This result only reflects habits you reported. A real cardiovascular risk estimate needs your blood pressure, cholesterol levels and age entered into a validated clinical tool by a doctor, which this self-check cannot replace.

Should I change my diet or exercise first?

Whichever dimension scored highest in this result is a reasonable place to start, since it points at where your current habits differ most from general heart healthy guidance. A doctor can help you prioritise if you have specific risk factors.

When should I get an actual heart health check?

Book a check up if you have a family history of heart disease, are over forty, have not had your blood pressure or cholesterol checked in the past few years, or notice chest discomfort, breathlessness or unusual fatigue.