Introduction
The PREVENT Calculator estimates your risk of heart disease, heart attack, stroke, and heart failure over the next 10 to 30 years. It uses the AHA PREVENT™ equations, developed by the American Heart Association to replace the older Pooled Cohort Equations (PCE). They add kidney function (eGFR) and body mass index, are sex-specific and race-free, and account for statin and blood pressure medicine.1
This tool is built for primary prevention only. That means it is for adults aged 30 to 79 who have not already been diagnosed with cardiovascular disease.1 If you already have heart disease, these estimates do not apply to you.
To use the calculator, enter your age, sex, cholesterol levels, blood pressure, eGFR, BMI, and whether you smoke, have diabetes, or take medications for blood pressure or cholesterol. The tool then calculates three separate risk scores: total cardiovascular disease (CVD), atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), and heart failure (HF). It also provides treatment guidance based on your results and shows a step-by-step breakdown of the math behind your ASCVD score.
Share your results with your doctor. This calculator is an educational tool and does not replace professional medical advice.
How to Use Our PREVENT Calculator
Enter your health details below to estimate your 10-year and 30-year risk of heart disease, heart attack, stroke, and heart failure. The calculator will also show treatment guidance based on your results.
Sex: Choose your biological sex. The calculator uses different equations for males and females.
Age: Enter your age in years. You must be between 30 and 79 years old to use this tool.1
Cholesterol Units: Pick mg/dL or mmol/L based on your lab report. The calculator will convert your values automatically if you switch units.
Total Cholesterol: Enter your total cholesterol number from a recent blood test.
HDL Cholesterol: Enter your HDL or "good" cholesterol number from a recent blood test.
Systolic Blood Pressure: Enter the top number of your blood pressure reading in mmHg. Valid values are 90 to 200.1
Currently Smoking: Select Yes if you currently smoke cigarettes. Select No if you do not.
Anti-Hypertensive Medication: Select Yes if you currently take medicine to lower your blood pressure.
Lipid-Lowering Medication (Statin): Select Yes if you currently take a statin or other medicine to lower your cholesterol.
eGFR: Enter your estimated glomerular filtration rate from a recent lab test. This measures how well your kidneys work. Valid values are 15 to 140. If you need to calculate this value from your lab results, use our GFR Calculator.
BMI: Enter your body mass index in kg/m². If you do not know your BMI, click the "Calculate BMI" button built into the form, or use our standalone BMI Calculator.
Diabetes: Select Yes if you have been diagnosed with diabetes. Select No if you have not.
Once all fields are filled in, click the Calculate button. Your results will show estimated risk percentages for total cardiovascular disease, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), and heart failure. You will also see treatment suggestions and a step-by-step breakdown of the math behind your ASCVD score.
What Is the AHA PREVENT Calculator?
The AHA PREVENT™ (Predicting Risk of cardiovascular disease EVENTs) calculator estimates your chance of developing heart disease over the next 10 or 30 years. It was created by the American Heart Association to replace older risk tools like the Pooled Cohort Equations, and is built for adults aged 30 to 79 who do not already have heart disease.1
What Does It Measure?
This calculator gives you three separate risk scores:
- Total CVD Risk: Your overall chance of any cardiovascular disease, including heart attack, stroke, and heart failure.
- ASCVD Risk: Your chance of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, which means heart attack and stroke caused by blocked arteries.
- Heart Failure Risk: Your chance of developing heart failure, a condition where the heart cannot pump blood well enough.
What Makes PREVENT Different?
Older heart risk calculators did not include kidney health or body weight. The PREVENT model adds eGFR (a measure of how well your kidneys work) and BMI (body mass index) as required inputs. These two factors have a strong link to heart disease. The model also removes race as an input, which makes it more fair and accurate across populations.
Another key change is that PREVENT accounts for whether you already take blood pressure medicine or a statin. This matters because these medications change how your blood pressure and cholesterol numbers relate to your actual risk.
What Inputs Do You Need?
To use this calculator, you need your age, sex, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, eGFR, and BMI. You also need to know if you smoke, have diabetes, or take blood pressure or cholesterol medications. Most of these values come from a basic blood test and a doctor visit.
How Are the Results Used?
Doctors use your PREVENT risk score to decide whether you may benefit from treatments like statins or blood pressure drugs. The cholesterol guideline calls a 10-year risk of 5% to 7.5% borderline, 7.5% to 19.9% intermediate, and 20% or higher high.2 Below 5% is low. This calculator splits the boundary at 7.4% and 7.5% so every result lands in exactly one band. The higher your score, the more likely your doctor will recommend medication along with lifestyle changes.
Lifestyle factors play a major role in reducing cardiovascular risk. Maintaining a healthy weight, staying active, and eating well can all help lower your score over time.
This tool is meant for primary prevention only. If you have already had a heart attack, stroke, or other cardiovascular event, this calculator does not apply to you. Always discuss your results with your doctor before making any health decisions.