Introduction
Heart disease and stroke are leading causes of death worldwide. A CVD risk calculator helps you find out how likely you are to have a heart attack or stroke in the next 10 years. This tool uses two published models: the AHA PREVENT™ equations, developed in adults aged 30 to 79 without known cardiovascular disease,1 and the Pooled Cohort Equations (PCE), developed in adults 40 to 79 years of age.2 You enter basic health information like your age, blood pressure, cholesterol, and smoking status. The calculator then gives you a risk score, a risk category, and a step-by-step breakdown of how the result was found.
This tool also shows how treatments like statins, blood pressure medicine, or quitting smoking could lower your risk. It is built for doctors, nurses, and patients who want a clear picture of cardiovascular health. Use it as a starting point for a conversation with your healthcare provider, not a replacement.
How to Use Our CVD Risk Calculator
Enter your health details below to estimate your 10-year risk of heart disease and stroke. The calculator will show your risk as a percentage, place you in a risk category, and show how treatments like statins or blood pressure medicine could lower your risk.
Risk Model: Choose between PREVENT™ (for ages 30–79) or Pooled Cohort/PCE (for ages 40–79) using the tabs at the top. PREVENT is the newer model and includes more health factors.
High-Risk Pre-Check: Check the box if you have moderate-to-severe chronic kidney disease or familial hypercholesterolaemia. If either applies, you are already high risk and do not need a score. Otherwise, leave "Neither" checked and continue.
Age: Enter your age in years. PREVENT accepts ages 30 to 79.1 Pooled Cohort accepts ages 40 to 79.2
Sex: Select Female or Male. The calculator uses different formulas for each sex.
Race/Ethnicity: This field only appears in Pooled Cohort mode. Choose White, African American, or Other. This is optional but can improve accuracy.
Smoking Status: Select Never, Former, or Current. If you pick Former, a follow-up question will ask how long ago you quit.
Cholesterol Units: Pick mg/dL or mmol/L. The calculator will convert your values automatically if you switch units.
Total Cholesterol: Enter your total cholesterol level from a recent blood test. Normal range is 150–200 mg/dL or 3.9–5.2 mmol/L.
HDL Cholesterol: Enter your HDL ("good") cholesterol level. Normal range is 40–60 mg/dL or 1.0–1.5 mmol/L. The TC:HDL ratio is calculated for you.
Statin Medication: This field only appears in PREVENT mode. Select Yes if you currently take a statin or other lipid-lowering drug.
Systolic Blood Pressure: Enter the top number from your blood pressure reading in mmHg. Normal is around 120 mmHg.
Diastolic Blood Pressure: This field only appears in Pooled Cohort mode. Enter the bottom number from your blood pressure reading in mmHg.
Anti-Hypertensive Medication: Select Yes if you currently take medicine to lower your blood pressure.
Diabetes: Select Yes if you have been diagnosed with diabetes.
BMI: This field only appears in PREVENT mode. Enter your body mass index (18.5–39.9). Click the ⓘ calc button if you need help figuring out your BMI from your weight and height, or use our full BMI Calculator for a detailed breakdown.
eGFR: This field only appears in PREVENT mode. Enter your estimated glomerular filtration rate, which measures kidney function. Normal is 90–120 mL/min/1.73m². If you need to estimate this value from your lab results, our GFR Calculator can help.
Outcome Models: In PREVENT mode, check which outcomes you want to see: ASCVD (heart attack and stroke), Heart Failure, or CVD Total (both combined).
Once all fields are filled in, click Calculate Risk to see your results. You can click Reset to clear all inputs back to default values or Print Results to save a copy.
What Is a CVD Risk Calculator?
A CVD (cardiovascular disease) risk calculator estimates your chance of having a heart attack, stroke, or heart failure within the next 10 years. It uses numbers from basic health tests (like blood pressure, cholesterol, and kidney function) along with your age, sex, and lifestyle habits to give you a personalized risk score. Doctors use this score to decide if you need medicine, lifestyle changes, or closer monitoring.
How Does This Calculator Work?
This tool supports two proven risk models. The AHA PREVENT™ model works for adults ages 30 to 79 and factors in BMI, kidney health (eGFR), and statin use. It can estimate your risk for ASCVD (atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease), heart failure, or total CVD. The Pooled Cohort Equations (PCE) model works for adults ages 40 to 79 and uses race, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and blood pressure to estimate 10-year ASCVD risk. For a focused look at atherosclerotic risk alone, see our ASCVD Risk Calculator.
What Do the Results Mean?
Your 10-year risk score falls into one of four groups:
- Low risk: Less than 5%. Heart attack or stroke is unlikely in the next 10 years.
- Borderline risk: 5% to 7.5%. You may benefit from healthy lifestyle changes.
- Intermediate risk: 7.5% to 20%. Your doctor may suggest medicine like a statin along with diet and exercise.
- High risk: 20% or higher. Treatment with medicine is strongly recommended.
Why Does Cardiovascular Risk Matter?
Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. Many heart attacks and strokes can be prevented when risk is caught early. A risk score helps you and your doctor act before problems start, not after. Even small changes, like lowering blood pressure by 10 points or quitting smoking, can drop your risk by a meaningful amount. This calculator shows you those therapy scenarios so you can see the real impact of each change.
Important Notes
This calculator is an educational tool. It does not replace advice from your doctor. If you have moderate-to-severe chronic kidney disease or familial hypercholesterolaemia, you are already considered high risk and do not need a score. Talk to your doctor about treatment right away. Always use real lab values from a recent blood test for the most accurate result.