medtests.net · Heart attack risk
Heart Attack Risk Test
Acute warning signs first, then SCORE2 for the moderate-risk region. Enter your age, sex, smoking status, blood pressure, total cholesterol, and HDL to get your estimated 10-year risk. For ages 70 to 89, the calculator uses SCORE2-OP. Guidance, not a diagnosis.
SCORE2
Estimate your 10-year risk of heart attack and stroke
For ages 40 to 69, this calculator uses SCORE2 for people without diabetes and without known cardiovascular disease. For ages 70 to 89, it uses SCORE2-OP from the 2021 EHJ publication, ehab312. That model includes diabetes as a regular predictor. The result is guidance for a talk with your doctor. It is not a diagnosis or a treatment recommendation.
- pressure, tightness, or pain in your chest lasts or spreads to your arm, neck, jaw, or back
- you also have shortness of breath, a cold sweat, nausea, severe weakness, or a sense of doom
- you suddenly have trouble speaking or seeing, or signs of paralysis
Choose sex and smoking status, then enter age, blood pressure, total cholesterol, and HDL cholesterol.
SCORE2 according to SCORE2 Working Group and ESC Cardiovascular Risk Collaboration, European Heart Journal 2021. SCORE2-OP according to SCORE2-OP Working Group and ESC Cardiovascular Risk Collaboration, European Heart Journal 2021, DOI 10.1093/eurheartj/ehab312. Region: moderate CVD risk (as used for Germany). Your entries stay in your browser and are not stored or sent.
Heart risk check
Your risk factors
A structured look at the established risk factors for a heart attack. It gives guidance. It is not a diagnosis and not a calculated risk score. Warning signs come first.
This check does not replace a medical exam. The standard clinical tool for calculating risk is SCORE2 from the European cardiology guideline, which your doctor calculates from age, sex, smoking status, blood pressure, total cholesterol, and HDL cholesterol.
The key point: a lot of it is in your hands
A large share of heart attacks is linked to lifestyle. Smoking, blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, weight, and exercise can change. Age and family history cannot. This check shows where your levers are and when a checkup is worth it.
How doctors calculate the risk
In European practice, doctors calculate the 10-year risk with SCORE2 from the European cardiology guideline, using age, sex, smoking status, systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, and HDL cholesterol. Non-HDL cholesterol is calculated from these. SCORE2 applies to people aged 40 to 69 without diabetes and without known cardiovascular disease. For ages 70 to 89, the calculator uses SCORE2-OP. This model uses total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, smoking status, and diabetes. The SCORE2 publication places Germany in the moderate-risk region, which this calculator uses. For the UK, SCORE2 uses the low-risk region, and doctors in the US usually use the ASCVD Pooled Cohort Equations instead, so your doctor's number may differ.
Frequently asked questions
How is heart attack risk calculated?
The standard clinical tool in Europe is SCORE2. It estimates the 10-year risk of fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular events from age, sex, smoking status, systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, and HDL cholesterol. This calculator uses the SCORE2 moderate-risk region, the region Germany belongs to.
Does the calculator also cover ages 70 to 89?
Yes. For ages 70 to 89, the calculator uses SCORE2-OP from the 2021 European SCORE2-OP publication. This model includes diabetes as a predictor. For ages 40 to 69 without known cardiovascular disease and without diabetes, SCORE2 remains the right model.
Which risk factors count for a heart attack?
You can influence smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, excess weight, lack of exercise, and chronic stress. You cannot change age or family history. Most heart attacks are linked to the factors you can influence, and that is the actual good news.
When should I have my heart checked?
A checkup with your primary care doctor makes sense when several risk factors come together, and from about age 35 on a regular basis anyway. With acute signs such as chest pressure, shortness of breath, or cold sweat, call your local emergency number right away (911 in the US, 112 in Europe).
Can I lower my heart attack risk?
Yes, often by a lot. Quitting smoking, getting blood pressure and cholesterol under control, exercise, weight, and blood sugar are the strongest levers. That is why it pays to know your own factors and work on them with your doctor.
Related tests
Cardiovascular risk is closely tied to metabolism and heart rhythm. These checks fit with it.
Sources and notes
Clinical risk standard: SCORE2 working group and ESC Cardiovascular Risk Collaboration. SCORE2 risk prediction algorithms: new models to estimate 10-year risk of cardiovascular disease in Europe. European Heart Journal 2021;42(25):2439-2454, DOI 10.1093/eurheartj/ehab309. SCORE2 uses total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol and is calibrated by risk region. The publication places Germany in the moderate-risk region. SCORE2-OP: SCORE2-OP working group and ESC Cardiovascular Risk Collaboration. SCORE2-OP risk prediction algorithms: estimating incident cardiovascular event risk in older persons in four geographical risk regions. European Heart Journal 2021;42(25):2455-2467, DOI 10.1093/eurheartj/ehab312. The ehab312 supplement with the OP coefficients is archived by our editorial team. Further explanatory videos: Dr. Stefan Waller, Dr. Heart YouTube channel (in German). This check is a screening, not a diagnosis.