What does this tool measure?

Use this tool if you:

• Are older than 20.
• Do not have diabetes.
• Do not have heart disease.

If you have diabetes or heart disease, your doctor can help you find out your risk for a heart attack.

This tool is one way to find your risk of having a heart attack. This tool is a common one that doctors use. But your doctor might find your risk using a different, but similar, method. All of these methods, including this tool, are based on your risk factors for heart disease. Some methods include risk factors that are not used in this tool (such as diabetes and family history). Methods used to calculate your heart attack risk are not perfect. But they give you and your doctor a good idea about your risk. And they can help you decide if you should take steps to prevent a heart attack.

Before you use this tool, you need to know your blood pressure and cholesterol levels. You will also answer questions about important risk factors for heart disease. These risk factors are:

• Age and gender. The number of people affected by heart disease increases with age in men after age 45 and in women after age 55.
• Smoker. Select "Yes" if you have smoked any cigarettes in the past month. Quitting smoking may be the most important step you can take to reduce your risk.
• Systolic blood pressure. Systolic blood pressure is the first number of your blood pressure reading. For example, if your reading is 120/80 (120 over 80), your systolic blood pressure is 120.
• Blood pressure medicine. Medicines used to treat high blood pressure include diuretics, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs), beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, and direct renin inhibitors. Enter "Yes" if you take one of these medicines.
• HDL cholesterol. HDL, or high-density lipoprotein, is the "good" cholesterol because it helps prevent cholesterol from building up in your arteries. The higher your HDL, the better. An HDL of 1.55 mmol/L (60 mg/dL) and above protects against heart disease. An HDL of less than 1.03 mmol/L (40 mg/dL) puts you at major risk of heart attack.
• 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. A total cholesterol of 6.2 mmol/L (240 mg/dL) and above puts you at twice the risk of heart disease compared with someone whose cholesterol is below 5.17 mmol/L (200 mg/dL). Less than 5.17 mmol/L (200 mg/dL) gives you a lower risk for heart disease.

What does your score mean?

Your score will appear in values from 1% to 99%. If your score is 5%, it means that 5 out of 100 people with this level of risk will have a heart attack in the next 10 years. If your score is 10%, it means that 10 out of 100 people with this level of risk will have a heart attack in the next 10 years.

Your doctor uses your risk score to help decide whether you need treatment to lower your risk for heart attack. Based on your risk, your doctor will likely suggest that you follow a healthy lifestyle, such as eating healthy and being active. Your doctor will also use your risk score to decide whether you need to take medicines. Your doctor may prescribe:

• Cholesterol medicine called statins. Treatment for high cholesterol depends on your risk for a heart attack.
• High blood pressure medicine.
• Low-dose ASA therapy.

What's next?

If you are concerned about your score, talk to your doctor about lowering your risk for a heart attack. You can make lifestyle changes, such as quitting smoking or changing your diet, that can substantially reduce your chances of heart attack. But if your risk is high, your doctor may suggest that you start taking medicines to lower your chance of having a heart attack.

For more information, see the topics Coronary Artery Disease, High Cholesterol, and High Blood Pressure.

This information was adapted from the National Cholesterol Education Program and National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, a part of the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2004). Risk Assessment tool for estimating your 10-year risk of having a heart attack. Available online http://hp2010.nhlbihin.net/atpiii/calculator.asp.