About This Calculator

This peer-reviewed online calculator uses the Pooled Cohort Equations to estimate the 10-year primary risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease among patients without pre-existing cardiovascular disease who are between 40 and 79 years of age. This is based on the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association Guidelines on the Assessment of Cardiovascular Risk. Risk assessments are extremely useful when it comes to reducing risk for cardiovascular disease because they help determine whether a patient is at high risk for cardiovascular disease, and if so, what can be done to address any cardiovascular risk factors a patient may have.

Interpreting the results

The equation estimates the 10-year risk of heart attack or stroke for individuals 40-79 years old, who had never had one of these events before. Example: If the 10-year cardiovascular risk estimate is 10%, this indicates that among 100 individuals of your age with the entered risk factor profile, 10 would be expected to have a heart attack or stroke in the next 10 years.
Individuals are considered to be at "elevated" risk if the predicted risk is ≥7.5%.In general, those at higher risk for cardiovascular disease require more intensive treatment to help prevent the development of cardiovascular disease.
Risk assessments are calculated using a number of factors including age, gender, race, cholesterol and blood pressure levels, diabetes and smoking status, and the use of blood pressure-lowering medications. Typically, these factors are used to estimate a patient's risk of developing cardiovascular disease in the next 10 years. For example, someone who is young with no risk factors for cardiovascular disease would have a very low 10-year risk for developing cardiovascular disease. However, someone who is older with risk factors like diabetes and high blood pressure will have a much higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease in the next 10 years.
The equation was developed and validated among Caucasian and African American men and women who did not have clinical atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. There are inadequate data in other racial groups, such as Hispanics, Asians, and American-Indian populations. Given the lack of data, current guidelines suggest to use the "Caucasian" race to estimate 10-year cardiovascular disease risk with the knowledge that further research is needed to stratify these patients' risk. Compared to Caucasians, the risk of cardiovascular disease is generally lower among Hispanic and Asian populations and generally higher among American-Indian populations.
Risk estimations vary drastically by gender and race. Individuals with the same traditional risk factors for cardiovascular disease such as high blood pressure can have a different 10-year risk for cardiovascular disease as a result of their sex and race.
If a preventive treatment plan is unclear based on the calculation of risk outlined above, care providers should take into account other factors such as family history and level of C-reactive protein. Taking this additional information into account should help inform a treatment plan to reduce an individual's 10-year risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
Calculating the 10-year risk for cardiovascular disease using traditional risk factors is recommended every 4-6 years in patients 20-79 years old who are free from cardiovascular disease. However, conducting a more detailed 10-year risk assessment every 4-6 years is reasonable in adults ages 40-79 who are free of cardiovascular disease. Assessing a patient's 30-year risk of developing cardiovascular disease can also be useful for individuals 20-59 years of age who are free of cardiovascular disease and are not at high short-term risk for cardiovascular disease.

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