Jump directly to the content
KNOW YOUR RISK

This calculator predicts YOUR risk of heart attack or stroke in next 10 years

THIS HANDY calculator can reveal if you are at risk of a heart attack or stroke in the next 10 years.

It could be useful to help you make changes now to prevent a deadly event in the near future.

Heart attacks and strokes can often be prevented
1
Heart attacks and strokes can often be preventedCredit: Alamy

Someone has a stroke every five minutes in the UK, mounting to 100,000 people a year.

There are also 100,000 admissions for heart attacks in the UK each year.

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the most common cause of heart attack, and in 2019, was the largest killer of people worldwide.

Both conditions, with similar causes, are largely preventable.

The , is used by doctors under NHS guidance to assess someone’s risk of a potentially fatal heart attack or stroke.

It asks for your age, ethnicity, gender, weight and height.

It can give a score based solely on this information. However, for the most accurate score, you will need other health details including your blood pressure and cholesterol reading.

If your score is 20 per cent, for example, it means in a crowd of 100 people like you, 20 of them will get a heart attack or stroke. There is a one in five chance you will be that person. 

You’ll also get a “healthy heart age”, which could be older than your true age. It is the age at which a healthy person with your details has the same risk score. 

It’s based on data from almost 1.3m million people in the UK who were followed for 10 years.

Scientists analysed who developed cardiovascular disease (CVD), including a heart attack or stroke, and what may have led them there.

The tool is meant to be for people only between 30 and 84 years old, and those who have already survived a stroke or heart attack cannot get an accurate estimate from it. 

What do I do if I have a high result?

If you are worried about your score, it’s probably best to see your GP who can validate it.

There may be things you can do to bring your risk down, like taking medication, stopping smoking or losing weight.

Some risk factors are unchangeable, for example your family history, age, or if you have a medical condition that raises your cholesterol levels.

But charities say knowing your overall risk could save your life.

How can you lower you risk of heart attack and stroke?

  • eat healthily
  • be physically active
  • keep to a healthy weight and lose weight if necessary
  • don't smoke
  • cut down on alcohol
  • control high blood pressure
  • control cholesterol levels
  • control blood sugar levels (if you have diabetes)

The calculator takes into consideration some of the following factors - which are risk factors for deadly heart attacks and stroke:

Smoking

The calculator will ask if you are a smoker or used to be.

Smoking makes you twice as likely to die if you have a stroke, according to the Stroke Association, with the risk growing for every cigarette per day. 

If you smoke 20 cigarettes a day, you are six times more likely to have a stroke compared to a nonsmoker. 

Tobacco contains thousands of toxic chemicals that have an effect on the body, such as increasing blood pressure and cholesterol - both implicated in strokes and heart attacks. 

The chemicals in smoke also narrow the arteries and make platelets, a type of blood cell, more likely to stick together, which both can cause blood to clot easier.

But if you stop smoking, after just one year your risk of a heart attack halves. 

High blood pressure

Around a third of adults in the UK have high blood pressure, although many will not realise it, the NHS says, calling it a “silent killer”.

You can get it checked at the doctors or some pharmacies, or buy a machine to do it yourself at home. 

Generally the ideal blood pressure is between 90/60mmHg and 120/80mmHg. The higher number is systolic pressure, and the lower number is diastolic pressure.

If your blood pressure is too high, it puts extra strain on your blood vessels, heart and other organs, such as the brain, kidneys and eyes.

Not only can it lead to heart attacks and strokes, but aortic aneurysms, kidney disease, vascular dementia and heart failure.

Arteries can cope with dips in blood pressure over the day. But when it is consistently high, the arteries become narrow and potentially clogged.

Most people develop high blood pressure because they do not eat healthily or exercise, and it can be treated.

High cholesterol

Like high blood pressure, high cholesterol is a condition that can creep up on you with no symptoms - but is very serious.

Cholesterol is a fatty substance in the blood, which accumulates with fatty food, lack of exercise, smoking and alcohol.

When there is too much cholesterol, it blocks the blood vessels and can lead to heart problems or a stroke.

Your GP may test your cholesterol if they think you could be at risk, and there are NHS accredited tests you can buy online.

Migraines

While migraines will not lead to a stroke, if you have migraines with aura, you are around twice as likely to have an ischaemic stroke in your lifetime.

For unclear reasons, the risk is mostly increased in people who get migraine with aura for the first time after the age of 50, as well as women who; are under 45, use oral contraceptives, or smoke.

About 30 per cent of people with migraine have migraine with aura (sometimes called classical migraine). 

The relationship between migraine and stroke is complex, the Stroke Association says.

It is thought the two share underlying risk factors, which helps to pick out those at risk of stroke.

Charities say people who suffer migraines can lower their risk of stroke with the same basics as everyone else, such as living a healthier lifestyle.

Erectile dysfunction

You might be surprised to see the calculator asks if you have ever had an erectile dysfunction diagnosis (ED).

ED is linked with heart disease - and is a larger risk factor than smoking or family history of heart problems, according to Cleveland Clinic.

It is thought that ED is an early warning sign that there is a buildup of plaque in the arteries, which could spell danger for the heart in future years.

ED and heart disease also share common risk factors like high cholesterol and high blood pressure, and failure to get an erection may signal something more sinister is going on. 

READ MORE SUN STORIES

Impotence is very common, particularly in men over 40, the NHS says.

Although it is not usually anything to worry about, you should see a GP if it is a persistent problem.

British Heart Foundation video explains what exactly is meant by the risk of high cholesterol
Topics