Heart attack or stroke is one of the leading causes of disability and death in modern life. The most common cause of cardiovascular diseases or stroke is the formation of atherosclerotic plaques in blood vessels. Modern medicine has identified the risk factors for cardiovascular disease and stroke as well as ways to prevent them.
1. Can I know my risk of having a heart attack in the next 10 years?
Absolutely. Nowadays, there are many charts for predicting cardiovascular and stroke risks over the next 10 years. However, many healthcare professionals prefer the QRISK®2 score due to its higher accuracy based on more comprehensive factors.
2. Who should calculate the risk of heart attack or stroke in the next 10 years?
Everyone aged 40 and above, or anyone of any age with a family history of early cardiovascular diseases, such as:
- Father or brothers with cardiovascular disease before age 55.
- Mother or sisters with cardiovascular disease before age 65.
People who already have cardiovascular diseases or diabetes are considered high risk.
3. What factors are used in the calculation?
Age, gender, smoking status, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels.
4. Why should I calculate my risk of heart attack or stroke in the next 10 years?
Knowing your risk allows doctors to provide advice on modifying cardiovascular risk factors through medication or lifestyle changes, minimizing potential future complications.
5. What should I do before calculating the risk?6. How are the results explained?
The results are displayed as a percentage. For example, if your result is 30%, it means you have a 30% chance of developing cardiovascular disease in the next 10 years. Simply put, 3 out of 10 people like you will develop cardiovascular disease in the next 10 years.
- Low risk: <10%.
- Moderate risk: 10%-20%.
- High risk: ≥30%.
7. What are the cardiovascular risk factors?
- Smoking.
- Lack of physical activity.
- Overweight or obesity.
- High salt intake.
- High blood pressure.
- Diabetes.
- Kidney disease.
8. Who needs to improve their risk factors?
- People with diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or kidney disease.
- People with a risk score of ≥10%.
9. What can I do to improve my results?
- Quit smoking if you smoke (If you quit before age 35, your life expectancy is nearly the same as a non-smoker. Quitting before age 50 reduces the risk of smoking-related death by 50%).
- Maintain a healthy diet, including reducing salt intake.
- Exercise for at least 30 minutes daily.
- Reduce alcohol consumption.
- Achieve and maintain ideal body weight.
- Control cholesterol levels with statin drugs. Depending on the specific condition, doctors will adjust cholesterol target levels. Use medications to lower blood pressure or blood sugar if needed.
10. Who will help me calculate my 10-year heart attack risk and explain the results?
If you have any requests, please contact our doctors for consultation.
