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What's Your Heart Attack Risk?
Directions
By answering questions in the 12 items below, you can calculate your odds of having a heart attack within the next 10 years. The test is based on data from four of the most extensive American studies of coronary risk. (The test is not accurate for people who already have a history of coronary disease. For definitive advice, ask your doctor.) Advice on improving your odds follows this test.
For every "yes" answer to items 1 through 9, add or subtract points as shown.
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Questions |
Men |
Women |
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1. |
Do you get little or no regular exercise? |
+ 2 |
+ 6 |
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2. |
Calculate your body mass index (BMI) as follows: Multiply your weight in pounds by Divide the result by
your height in inches. Divide that result by your height in inches again. |
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Is your BMI from 21 to under 25? |
+ 0 |
+ 2 |
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Is your BMI from 25 to under 29? |
+ 2 |
+ 3 |
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Is your BMI 29 or over? |
+ 4 |
+ 6 |
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3. |
Do you have diabetes? |
+ 8 |
+ 11 |
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4. |
If you're an exsmoker, did you quit in the past five years? |
+ 1 |
+ 4 |
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If you smoke, do you smoke fewer than 15 cigarettes a day? |
+ 2 |
+ 8 |
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Do you smoke 15 to 24 cigarettes a day? |
+ 4 |
+ 15 |
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Do you smoke more than 24 cigarettes a day? |
+ 6 |
+ 18 |
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5. |
Did either of your parents have a heart attack before age 60? |
+ 9 |
+ 9 |
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6. |
Do you take medicine to control blood pressure? (This is a sign that your pressure was once elevated.) |
+ 1 |
+ 1 |
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7. |
If postmenopausal, are you currently taking estrogen alone? |
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- 5 |
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Are you currently taking estrogen + progestin? |
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- 3 |
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If you don't currently take estrogen, did you previously take it (with or without progestin)? |
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- 2 |
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8. |
Do you take low doses of aspirin at least every other day? (A low dose is between one quarter and one
whole 325-mg tablet). |
- 4 |
- 4 |
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9. |
Do you drink alcohol in moderation? ("Moderate" drinking is two to 14 drinks per week. A "drink" is 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1 ½ ounces of liquor.) |
- 4 |
- 4 |
- Add up your points so far.
- Now calculate items 10 through 12, rounding to the nearest whole number.
- Multiply your systolic pressure (the higher number) by 0.14 if man, by 0.15 if woman.
- Multiply your age by 0.15 if man, by 0.8 if woman.
- Multiply your total cholesterol level by 0.07 if man, by 0.06 if woman.
- Multiply your HDL level by 0.25 if man, by if woman. If you don't know your cholesterol levels and want to assume they're about average, you could substitute 205 for total cholesterol and 51 for HDL. Adults 20 and over should have cholesterol testing at least every 5 years.
- Add up your points for items 10 through 12.
- Add the two subtotals to get your score.
Probability* of Having a Heart Attack
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MEN |
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Score |
1 year |
5 years |
10 years |
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0-35 |
< 0.1% |
< 0.4% |
< 1% |
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36-45 |
0.1-0.2% |
0.4-1% |
1-3% |
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46-55 |
0.2-0.6% |
1-3% |
3-7% |
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56-65 |
0.6-2% |
3-8% |
7-17% |
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66-70 |
2% |
8-13% |
17-27% |
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71-75 |
2-4% |
13-20% |
27-40% |
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76-80 |
4-6% |
20-30% |
40-56% |
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WOMEN |
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Score |
1 year |
5 years |
10 years |
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0-60 |
< 0.1% |
< 0.4% |
< 1% |
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61-70 |
0.1-0.2% |
0.4-1% |
1-3% |
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71-80 |
0.2-0.5% |
1-3% |
3-7% |
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81-85 |
0.5-2% |
3-5% |
7-12% |
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86-90 |
1% |
5-8% |
12-19% |
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91-95 |
1-2% |
8-13% |
20-29% |
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96-100 |
2-4% |
12-20% |
29-43% |
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*"Probability" indicates the percentage of people like yourself who will have a heart attack during the period cited. If your probability is 7% for the 10-year column, for example, it means that out of a random sampling of 100 people with the same score as yourself, seven will have a heart attack within a decade of today.
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