The Reynolds Risk Score - Women Heart Attack Risk Calculator
I'm sure you've heard about the
Framingham heart study and how physicians can it to predict the 10-year heart attack risk in their patients. Well, if you are a woman, you may want to do use the
Reynolds risk score instead, as it is more accurate.
Please use the calculator on the right to estimate your 10-year risk of a heart attack or stroke.
Heart Attack and Stroke Risk Calculator in Women
To calculate your 10-year heart attack and stroke risk, just enter the information required in thefilelds below and then press on the "Calculate My Risk" button.
In women, the Reynolds Risk Score is more accurate than the tranditional
Framingham risk score calculator.
Instructions & Glossary of Terms
We tried to make this calculator as self-explanatory as possible. A few remarks, however, are appropriate.
Can All Women Use This Heart Attack and Stroke Risk Calculator?
With the exception of diabetes and already present/diagnosed heart disease or stroke, this calculator can be used by virtually all women.
Your Laboratory Data
In order to predict your heart disease and stroke risk, the Reynolds risk score uses the following lab values:
- Total Cholesterol: this (and the following - HDL Cholesterol) values are part of the so called "lipid profile" routinely measured at your primary care physician's office. For maximum accuracy, you should have at least two measurements, both after fasting for at least 8 hours, and enter the average of these values in the total cholesterol field above. Make sure the number you enter was measured by the lab in mg/dL, otherwise the calculator will give you an erroneous prediction. Most people have total cholesterol values between 100 and mg/dL. The upper limit of normal is around 200 mg/dL, but the optimal level of total cholesterol is less than 160 mg/dL.
- HDL Cholesterol: this is the so-called "good" cholesterol, as higher values are associated with a lower risk of cardio-vascular disease. It is measured in mg/dL, too. Most women have values between 10 and 100 mg/dL. The optimal level of HDL cholesterol is over 60 mg/dL.
- Systolic Blood Pressure: this is the upper number from your most recent blood pressure measurement. For example, if your blood pressure was 135/80, then your systolic blood pressure to be used in the Reynolds Risk Score is 135. For the purposes of this calculator, it does not matter if you were on blood pressure medications or not at the time of the measurement. Systolic blood pressure is reported in mm/Hg. Most women have values between 90 to 190 mm/Hg, but the optimal systolic blood pressure is less than 120 mm/Hg.
- High Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (hs-CRP): Many studies indicate that high levels of high sensitivity c-reactive protein is a useful and consistent heart disease risk predictor. The American Heart Association recommends that hs-CRP values should be the lower of at least two values obtained from a standard blood test. This is particularly important if the initial hsCRP value is greateer than 5 mg/L. Most women have hs-CRP values between 0.01 and 10 mg/L, and some women have even higher hs-CRP levels all the time, even after repeat testing. To accomodate risk calculation for these cases, the calculator above will accept hs-CRP values up to 50 mg/L. An optimal level of hs-CRP is less than 0.5 mg/L.
- Smoking Status: for the purposes of this calculator, if you smoked any cigarettes in the last month, you list yourself as a "current smoker".
- Parental History of Heart Disease before Age 60: you should select "Yes" if either your mother or father suffered from a heart attack or stroke before age 60 years.
Where Can I Find Out More About the Reynolds Risk Score?
The Reynolds risk score was first published in
JAMA - Feb 14, 2007 issue, by a group of researchers from Boston, USA.
A somewhat more sophisticated version of the above calculator can be found at
www.reynoldsriskscore.org
Dr Gily
