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URL of this page: https://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/heart-disease-risk-assessment/

Heart Disease Risk Assessment

What is a heart disease risk assessment?

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. A heart disease risk assessment, or cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk assessment, is a screening tool that measures your risk of heart disease or CVD. Heart disease and CVD are related, but they are not the same thing:

There are various screening tools that can check your heart disease risk, but they are meant to be used before you have a heart problem. You can complete a heart risk assessment online or at your health care provider's office. The risk assessment includes questions about certain risk factors, including your age, family history, and lifestyle habits such as diet and exercise. It then calculates your risk of developing heart disease in the future. Even if you feel healthy now, the assessment can show if you need to take steps to prevent or reduce your chances of developing heart disease later.

Other names: cardiovascular disease assessment, CVD risk factors assessment, heart disease risk calculator, ASCVD risk calculator

What is it used for?

Most heart disease risk assessments check how likely it is that you will develop heart disease in the next 10 years. Some also evaluate your 30-year or lifetime risk.

Why do I need a heart disease risk assessment?

Most of the assessments can be helpful if you are 40 to 75 years old and do not have heart disease. If you are younger than 40, there are a few new assessments that your provider may use if you have a family history of heart disease or certain CVD risk factors.

What happens during a heart disease risk assessment?

There are different types of heart disease risk assessments. These screening tools each include general questions about your health and possible risk factors for heart disease. Some common heart disease risk assessments include:

  • ASCVD Risk Calculator. This tool helps predict your 10-year or lifetime risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). ASCVD refers to conditions caused by atherosclerosis, which develops when plaque (fatty deposits) build up inside your arteries. The buildup can block blood flow and may lead to heart attack or stroke.
  • ACC/AHA Cardiovascular Risk Calculator. This is a shorter version of the ASCVD Risk Calculator. Both make suggestions to improve your risk score.
  • Pooled Cohort Equation (PCE). This is an updated version of the ASCVD Risk Calculator, which estimates the 10-year risk of heart attack and/or stroke for people ages 30 to 79.
  • Predicting Risk of Cardiovascular Disease Events (PREVENT) Calculator. This new tool considers other health conditions to estimate the risk of heart attack, stroke, and heart failure for people ages 30 to 79. It is used to estimate your 10- and 30-year risk.
  • Reynolds Risk Score. This test was originally developed for women, but now they have a test that can be used for men. It estimates the 10-year risk of having a heart attack, stroke, or death related to heart disease for people ages 45 to 80. It is only used if you don't have diabetes.

You can choose and complete a test online, or your health care provider may tell you which one might be best for you and/or review the questions with you. Your assessment may include questions about some or all of the following:

Will I need to do anything to prepare for the test?

You don't need any special preparations for a heart disease risk assessment.

Are there any risks to the test?

There is no risk in taking a questionnaire.

What do the results mean?

Heart disease risk assessment results are calculated based on data from clinical studies on heart disease. Your answers will be compared with patient data from these studies. Your results will be given as a percentage.

  •  A lower percentage means you have less risk of developing heart disease. 
  • A higher percentage means you have a greater risk. If your percentage is high, your provider may recommend steps to lower your risk.

Some risk factors, such as age and family history, can't be controlled. But you can take steps to lower your risk for some factors, for example by:

These steps can benefit all adults.

If you are at a high risk of heart disease, your provider may also recommend medicines. These medicines may be used to treat health conditions which raise your risk or to help prevent certain heart diseases:  They may include:

  • Medicines to lower cholesterol, such as statins.
  • Blood pressure medicines, also called antihypertensives
  • Blood thinners, which may help prevent heart attacks and strokes. This may include taking a daily aspirin. But aspirin therapy has some risks and is only recommended for people with certain risk factors for heart disease. Talk to your provider about the risks and benefits before you start taking a daily aspirin.

If you have questions about your results, talk to your provider.

Is there anything else I need to know about a heart disease risk assessment?

Depending on the results of your assessment, your provider may order additional tests including:

References

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The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health.