Heart Disease Risk Assessment
Reviewed
Also called: cardiovascular disease assessment, CVD risk factors assessment, heart disease risk calculator, ASCVD risk calculator
A heart disease risk assessment is a screening tool that uses a questionnaire to estimate your risk of developing heart disease in the future (commonly within the next 10 years, and sometimes 30-year or lifetime risk). It asks about risk factors such as age, sex, blood pressure, cholesterol, smoking, diabetes, activity level, diet, and family history. The result is a percentage; a lower percentage indicates lower risk, and a higher percentage indicates higher risk. This is not a diagnostic test. Discuss your results with your healthcare provider, who may recommend lifestyle changes, medicines, or additional tests.
Specimen: none (questionnaire)
Why this test may be ordered
- To estimate your risk of developing heart disease in the next 10 years (or 30-year/lifetime risk with some tools).
- To help guide prevention strategies before heart problems occur.
- Commonly used for people ages 40–75 without known heart disease; also may be used for younger people with a family history or certain risk factors.
Preparation and collection
No special preparations are needed.
self-administered or provider-administered questionnaire
There is no risk in taking a questionnaire.
Understanding results
Your results are 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.
- Screen-negative (lower percentage): Lower-likelihood of developing heart disease in the next 10 years (or 30-year/lifetime, depending on the tool used). Limitation: This is a screening estimate, not a diagnosis. Next step: Continue healthy lifestyle habits and discuss with your provider at your next visit.
- Screen-positive (higher percentage): Higher-likelihood of developing heart disease in the next 10 years (or 30-year/lifetime, depending on the tool used). Limitation: This is a screening estimate, not a diagnosis. Next step: Your provider may recommend lifestyle changes and/or medicines to lower your risk. Additional testing may be ordered.
- This is a screening tool, not a diagnostic test. It estimates risk but does not confirm the presence of heart disease.
- Results are based on population data and may not perfectly predict individual risk.
- False reassurance is possible if risk is underestimated; unnecessary worry is possible if risk is overestimated.
- The assessment does not account for all possible risk factors.
What to do next
Discuss your results with your healthcare provider. If your risk percentage is high, your provider may recommend lifestyle changes (e.g., healthy diet, regular physical activity, limiting alcohol, quitting smoking, managing stress and health conditions) and/or medicines (e.g., cholesterol-lowering medicines, blood pressure medicines, blood thinners). Depending on your results, your provider may also order additional tests such as cholesterol levels, electrocardiogram, or a stress test.
- Age
- Sex
- Height and weight
- Blood pressure
- Cholesterol levels (if known from a blood test, but the questionnaire itself does not require a blood draw; you can answer based on recent lab results or leave blank if unknown – follow your provider's instructions.)
Evidence source
U.S. National Library of Medicine: Heart Disease Risk Assessment