Interactive Assessment of Cardiac Risk

Estimate Your 10-year Risk of Having a Heart Attack

The risk assessment tool below uses information from the Framingham Heart Study to predict a person’s chance of having a heart attack in the next 10 years. This tool is designed for adults aged 20 and older. To find your risk score, enter your information in the calculator below.  

If you don’t know the answers to these questions,  you may wish to see your physician regarding a health screening exam. 

Age:   

Total Cholesterol: 

HDL Cholesterol: 

Systolic Blood Pressure: 

Gender:     Male   Female 

Diabetes:   yes     no  

Smoker:   yes   no

Total cholesterol - Total cholesterol is the sum of all the cholesterol in your blood. The higher your total cholesterol, the greater your risk for heart disease. Here are the total values that matter to you:

  • Less than 200 mg/dL 'Desirable' level that puts you at lower risk for heart disease. A cholesterol level of 200 mg/dL or greater increases your risk.

  • 200 to 239 mg/dL 'Borderline-high.'

  • 240 mg/dL and above 'High' blood cholesterol. A person with this level has more than twice the risk of heart disease compared to someone whose cholesterol is below 200 mg/dL.


HDL cholesterol
- High density lipoprotein (HDL) is the 'good' cholesterol. HDL carries cholesterol from other parts of the body back to the liver, enhancing its removal from the body.  HDL has been shown to be protective in reducing ones risk for heart disease and possibly stroke. 

Important HDL-Cholesterol Levels:

  • Less than 40 mg/dL...   A major risk factor for heart disease
  • 60 mg/dL and above...   considered protective against heart disease.

Systolic blood pressure -

  • Systolic blood pressure is the first number of your blood pressure reading. For example, if your reading is 140/90 (140 over 90), your systolic blood pressure is 140.

Smoker - Select “yes”  if you have smoked any cigarettes in the past month.

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References:
Prediction of coronary heart disease using risk factor categories.

Wilson PW, D'Agostino RB, Levy D, Belanger AM, Silbershatz H, Kannel WB.
Circulation 1998 May 12;97(18):1837-47

National Cholesterol Education Program
Third Report of the Expert Panel on...
Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (ATP III)

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