Health calculators

Framingham Risk Calculator

Updated Jun 28, 2026 By Jehan Wadia
Formulas Medical disclaimer
Pre-Screen

Is the patient currently on lipid-lowering medication (e.g., statins)? *

Calculation Model
Patient Details
Sex *
years
Accepted range: 30–79 years.
mm Hg
Normal: 100–120 mm Hg
Smoker *
Diabetes *
Currently on drug treatment for hypertension? *
Normal: 151–201 mg/dL
Normal: 40–60 mg/dL
10-Year Cardiovascular Risk (Total CVD Events)
13.0% Moderate Risk
Your Cardiovascular Age: 60 years
Risk Comparison
    Step-by-Step Solution
    This calculator applies to adults aged 30–79 without prior cardiovascular disease or intermittent claudication. Results are intended to support clinical judgment, not replace it.
    Calculated using the Framingham General CVD Risk Model (D'Agostino et al., 2008).

    Introduction

    The Framingham Risk Score is a simple way to estimate your chance of having a heart attack, stroke, or other heart disease event in the next 10 years. Doctors have used this tool for decades to help spot heart problems before they happen. It is based on a large study that tracked thousands of people over many years in Framingham, Massachusetts.

    This calculator uses your age, sex, blood pressure, cholesterol levels or BMI, smoking status, and diabetes status to find your risk. It follows the General Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) risk model published by D'Agostino and colleagues in 2008. You can choose between two models: a lipid-based model that uses total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol lab values, or a BMI-based model that uses body mass index when lab results are not available.

    Along with your 10-year risk score, this tool calculates your cardiovascular age (also called heart age) and compares your risk to normal and optimal levels for someone of your age and sex. It also shows a full step-by-step breakdown of the math behind your result.

    Note: This calculator is designed for adults ages 30 to 79 who have not already been diagnosed with heart disease. It is meant to support — not replace — advice from your doctor.

    How to Use Our Framingham Risk Calculator

    Enter your health details below to find your 10-year risk of heart disease. The calculator will show your risk as a percentage, your heart age, and how your risk compares to normal and optimal levels for your age and sex.

    Pre-Screen: Choose whether the patient is currently taking lipid-lowering medication such as statins. If "Yes" is selected, the calculator will pause because it needs untreated cholesterol values to give accurate results.

    Calculation Model: Pick "Lipid-Based" if you have lab results for cholesterol. Pick "BMI-Based" if you do not have lab values and want to use body mass index instead.

    Sex: Select "Male" or "Female." The calculator uses different formulas for each sex.

    Age: Enter the patient's age in years. This tool works for adults between 30 and 79 years old.

    Systolic Blood Pressure: Enter the top number from a blood pressure reading in mm Hg. A normal reading is about 100 to 120 mm Hg.

    Smoker: Select "Yes" if the patient currently smokes or "No" if they do not.

    Diabetes: Select "Yes" if the patient has been diagnosed with diabetes or "No" if they have not. If you need to convert between blood glucose and A1C values, our A1C calculator can help.

    Hypertension Treatment: Select "Yes" if the patient currently takes medication for high blood pressure. This changes which formula the calculator uses for blood pressure.

    Total Cholesterol (Lipid-Based model only): Enter the baseline or untreated total cholesterol level. Click the unit button to switch between mg/dL and mmol/L. You can also use our cholesterol ratio calculator to evaluate the relationship between your total cholesterol and HDL.

    HDL-C (Lipid-Based model only): Enter the baseline or untreated HDL cholesterol level. Click the unit button to switch between mg/dL and mmol/L.

    BMI (BMI-Based model only): Enter the patient's body mass index in kg/m². You can also use the built-in height and weight fields to calculate BMI automatically, or try our dedicated BMI calculator for a more detailed breakdown.

    Press "Calculate" to see your results. Press "Reset" to clear all fields and start over.

    What Is the Framingham Risk Score?

    The Framingham Risk Score is a tool doctors use to estimate your chance of having a heart attack, stroke, or other heart problem in the next 10 years. It was created from a long-running study in Framingham, Massachusetts, that has tracked heart health in thousands of people since 1948. Other widely used cardiovascular risk tools include the ASCVD risk calculator based on the Pooled Cohort Equations and the newer PREVENT calculator from the AHA.

    How Does It Work?

    The calculator looks at a few key facts about your health: your age, sex, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and whether you smoke or have diabetes. It plugs these numbers into a proven math formula to give you a percentage. That percentage is your 10-year cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. A lower number means a lower chance of heart problems. For a broader look at your overall cardiovascular risk profile, you can also try our CVD risk calculator.

    What Do the Results Mean?

    Your result falls into one of three groups:

    • Low risk: Less than 10%. Your chance of a heart event is small.
    • Moderate risk: Between 10% and 20%. You should talk to your doctor about ways to lower your risk.
    • High risk: Above 20%. Your doctor may suggest medicine, diet changes, or exercise to protect your heart. Tools like our calorie calculator and weight loss calculator can help you plan lifestyle changes that reduce cardiovascular risk.

    What Is Cardiovascular Age?

    The calculator also gives you a "heart age." This number compares your heart health to a person with normal blood pressure, normal cholesterol, and no smoking or diabetes. If your heart age is higher than your real age, it means your risk factors are aging your heart faster than normal. Many doctors use heart age to help patients understand their results in a simple way. You may also want to explore our life expectancy calculator for a broader picture of how lifestyle factors affect long-term health outcomes.

    Lipid-Based vs. BMI-Based Models

    This calculator offers two models. The lipid-based model uses your total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol from a blood test. It is more accurate. The BMI-based model uses your body mass index instead of cholesterol. It is helpful when lab results are not available, such as during a routine office visit. Other measurements like waist-to-hip ratio and body fat percentage can provide additional insight into cardiovascular risk beyond what BMI alone captures.

    Who Should Use This Calculator?

    This tool is designed for adults between 30 and 79 years old who have not already been diagnosed with heart disease. It works best with untreated (baseline) cholesterol and blood pressure values. If you already take statins or other cholesterol-lowering drugs, the results may not be accurate. Always share your results with your doctor before making any health decisions. If you are interested in exercise as a way to improve your heart health, our target heart rate calculator and calories burned calculator can help you plan safe and effective workouts.

    Formulas used

    Linear Predictor (Lipid-Based Model)
    L = \beta_{age} \ln(\text{Age}) + \beta_{TC} \ln(\text{TC}) + \beta_{HDL} \ln(\text{HDL}) + \beta_{SBP} \ln(\text{SBP}) + \beta_{smoke} + \beta_{diabetes}
    Linear Predictor (BMI-Based Model)
    L = \beta_{age} \ln(\text{Age}) + \beta_{BMI} \ln(\text{BMI}) + \beta_{SBP} \ln(\text{SBP}) + \beta_{smoke} + \beta_{diabetes}
    10-Year Cardiovascular Risk
    \text{Risk} = 1 - S_0^{\, e^{(L - \bar{L})}}
    Cardiovascular (Heart) Age
    \text{Heart Age} = e^{\frac{L - C}{\beta_{age}}}
    Body Mass Index (BMI Sub-Calculator)
    \text{BMI} = \frac{W}{\left(\frac{H}{100}\right)^2}

    Frequently asked questions

    What is a good Framingham Risk Score?

    A score below 10% is considered low risk. This means you have a small chance of a heart attack or stroke in the next 10 years. A score between 10% and 20% is moderate risk, and anything above 20% is high risk. The lower your score, the better your heart health outlook.

    Can I use this calculator if I take statins or cholesterol medication?

    This calculator needs untreated (baseline) cholesterol values to give accurate results. If you take statins or other lipid-lowering drugs, your current cholesterol numbers are already lowered by the medicine. You can enter your pre-treatment lab values if you have them. Otherwise, the result may underestimate your true risk.

    Why does the calculator ask if I am on blood pressure medication?

    Treated and untreated blood pressure carry different levels of risk even when the numbers are the same. A person on medication who reads 130 mm Hg has a slightly higher underlying risk than someone who reads 130 mm Hg without treatment. The calculator uses a different coefficient for each situation to be more accurate.

    What is the difference between heart age and real age?

    Your heart age (cardiovascular age) shows the age of a healthy person who has the same risk level as you. If your heart age is higher than your real age, your risk factors like high blood pressure, smoking, or high cholesterol are making your heart older than it should be. If your heart age is lower, your heart is in better shape than average for your age.

    Should I use the lipid-based or BMI-based model?

    Use the lipid-based model if you have recent blood test results for total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol. It is more accurate. Use the BMI-based model if you do not have lab results handy. The BMI model is designed for quick office screenings when blood work is not available.

    Why is my age limited to 30–79 years?

    The Framingham study data used to build this formula only covers adults aged 30 to 79. Using it outside that range would give unreliable results. If you are younger than 30 or older than 79, talk to your doctor about other risk assessment tools.

    What does the 10-year risk percentage actually mean?

    It means out of 100 people with the same health profile as you, that number of people would be expected to have a heart attack, stroke, or other cardiovascular event within the next 10 years. For example, a 13% risk means about 13 out of 100 similar people would have a heart event.

    How do I switch cholesterol units between mg/dL and mmol/L?

    Click the unit button next to the cholesterol input field. It will toggle between mg/dL and mmol/L and automatically convert your entered value. The calculator uses mg/dL internally for the formula, so the conversion is handled for you.

    What is the normal range for total cholesterol and HDL?

    For this calculator, normal total cholesterol is about 151–201 mg/dL (3.9–5.2 mmol/L). Normal HDL cholesterol is about 40–60 mg/dL (1.0–1.6 mmol/L). Higher HDL is generally better because it helps remove bad cholesterol from your blood.

    Does this calculator work for people who already have heart disease?

    No. This tool is for people who have not been diagnosed with heart disease, stroke, or peripheral artery disease. If you already have a heart condition, your doctor will use different tools to manage your risk.

    How can I lower my Framingham Risk Score?

    The most effective ways are to quit smoking, lower your blood pressure, improve your cholesterol levels, manage diabetes, and maintain a healthy weight. Regular exercise and a heart-healthy diet also help. Talk to your doctor about which changes will make the biggest difference for you.

    What does the 'normal' and 'optimal' risk comparison mean?

    The normal risk is the average 10-year risk for someone your age and sex with typical health values. The optimal risk is the lowest possible risk for your age and sex — someone with ideal blood pressure, healthy cholesterol, no smoking, and no diabetes. Comparing your score to these helps you see how much room you have to improve.

    Is the Framingham Risk Score accurate for all races and ethnicities?

    The original Framingham study was mostly based on white Americans. It may overestimate or underestimate risk in other populations. Some studies show it works reasonably well for many groups, but tools like the ASCVD Pooled Cohort Equations include race as a factor for more tailored results. Discuss with your doctor which tool is best for you.

    Why does the calculator give different results for men and women?

    Men and women have different baseline risks for heart disease. The Framingham model uses separate sets of coefficients for each sex because risk factors like age, cholesterol, and blood pressure affect men and women differently. For example, men generally develop heart disease earlier than women.

    Can I use this tool on my phone?

    Yes. The calculator is designed to work on phones, tablets, and computers. All the buttons and fields adjust to fit your screen size.

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