Estimate Your 10-Year Heart Risk
Use this calculator to estimate your 10-year risk of a major cardiovascular event (heart attack or stroke) using commonly used ASCVD risk inputs.
Educational tool only. This estimate does not replace medical advice.
What is a 10-year heart risk score?
A 10-year heart risk score estimates your chance of having a major cardiovascular event over the next decade. Most calculators focus on ASCVD (atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease), which includes heart attack and stroke.
This type of estimate is useful because it helps shift attention away from any single number (like cholesterol alone) and toward your overall risk profile.
How this calculator works
This page uses a pooled-cohort style risk model based on factors that are strongly linked to cardiovascular outcomes in large population datasets. Your result is computed from a combination of:
- Age
- Sex
- Race group used by the model
- Total cholesterol
- HDL cholesterol
- Systolic blood pressure
- Blood pressure treatment status
- Smoking status
- Diabetes status
How to interpret your result
Risk categories (common clinical cutoffs)
- Low risk: under 5%
- Borderline risk: 5% to 7.4%
- Intermediate risk: 7.5% to 19.9%
- High risk: 20% or higher
These categories can help guide discussions about prevention. A higher percentage does not mean an event is guaranteed; it means your statistical risk is higher than someone with a lower score.
What to do after calculating
1) Review your numbers
Make sure your blood pressure and cholesterol values are recent and accurate. Lab values from years ago can make risk estimates misleading.
2) Focus on modifiable factors
- Stop smoking if you smoke
- Manage blood pressure consistently
- Improve diet quality (more whole foods, less ultra-processed food)
- Exercise regularly (aim for at least 150 minutes/week moderate activity)
- Sleep adequately and manage stress
- Work with your clinician on diabetes and cholesterol management
3) Talk to your clinician
Clinical decisions such as statin therapy, blood pressure medication changes, and additional testing should be individualized. Your personal and family history still matter.
Important limitations
No calculator is perfect. Risk models are population-based, so your personal risk may differ. They also may not fully account for:
- Strong family history of early cardiovascular disease
- Chronic inflammatory conditions
- Kidney disease
- Pregnancy-related risk history
- Social determinants of health
Think of this as a starting point for prevention, not a final diagnosis.