Assess Your Risk

Heart Disease Assessment Tool

Yes	No
Risk factors you cannot control:
		Increasing age – For men: are you over age 45? – For women: are you post-menopausal or over age 55?
		Heredity (including race)
		Does anyone in your immediate family have a history of heart disease or diabetes?
		Are you black American or Latino American?

Yes	No
Risk factors you can control: ^1,2
		Do you have diabetes?
		Do you smoke?
		High blood pressure – Is your blood pressure 140/90 mmHg or higher? (normal is below 120/80 mmHg)
		High cholesterol – Is your total cholesterol over 200?
		Obesity – Are you 30 pounds or more over your “recommended” weight ? – For men: is your waist measurement greater than 40 inches? – For women: is your waist measurement greater than 35 inches?
		Inactivity – Do you exercise less than three times a week?

Your Score

If Your Score Is	What this means...
0 to 2	You selected "No " more than you selected "Yes." This means you are not at risk.
3 to 9	You are at risk . See below.
	For each risk factor above you checked, your overall risk of developing heart disease skyrockets.³ The risk factors don't add their potential danger like one plus one equals two - they multiply it. For instance, if you have three risk factors you are 10 times more likely to develop heart disease than a person with no risk factors. For the risk factors you can control, it's important you take action to minimize your risks. If you have some in the "can't control" category, it's even more important that you take action on the risks you can control to help reduce your overall risk for heart disease.

If You Are at Risk

Take charge of your heart health by learning more and talking to your doctor.

Visit our Patient Resources page for patient information booklets or related websites to find out more about:

Your risks for heart disease
How you can limit your risks
Questions to ask your doctor about your risk for heart disease

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1 . American Heart Association. Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics 2007 Update. Available at www.americanheart.org
2. U.S. Department of Human Services, National Institute for Health & National Heart Lung & Blood Institute. “Your Guide to a Healthy Heart” NIH Publication No; 06-5269, November 2005. Available at www.nhlbi.nih.gov
3. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute “The Heart Truth for Women—A Speaker's Guide.” NIH Publication No. 06-5208. Available at www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/hearttruth
4. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Infographs, “Heart Disease Risk Factor ‘Multiplier Effect:' in Midlife Women.” Available at www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/hearttruth. Accessed on September 10, 2007.