What are my risk factors for heart disease/heart attack?
Do You Smoke?
Smoking significantly increases the risk of heart problems
High blood pressure
Hypertension is also a major risk factor to be aware of
Your Family History
A family member having a coronary event under age 60
Do You Have Diabetes?
Diabetics should be extra careful of their heart health
High cholesterol
Uncontrolled high cholesterol is another known risk factor
How can I find out my 10 year risk?
The NHS offers screening for all healthy adults aged 40 to 70 years to estimate their 10 year risk. This is the predicted chance of having a cardiovascular event (coronary and stroke) over the next 10 years.
If your predicted risk is 10% or over, you will be advised to change your lifestyle and statins (cholesterol lowering medicine) may be recommended. You can calculate your predicted risk using the NHS heart age tool.
Is there a more accurate way to identify your risk to see how relevant prevention is to you?
