Heart Disease Risk Assessment

Heart disease is a disease that affects the function of the heart. It occurs when fatty deposits known as plaque build up inside the arteries, scarring the heart tissue and affecting cardiac and systemic blood flow. It is a serious and chronic condition, and can lead to heart failure if not managed with lifestyle, diet and/or medication. Though there is a genetic component, an increased consumption of animal products, alcohol, cigarettes, high stress levels, certain medications, and lack of exercise have all been linked with heart disease.

Heart disease does not have one singular cause. There is good evidence to suggest that prevention is the best cure; therefore, it is important to understand your risk factors. Some risk factors are inherent such as age and gender— these are called non-modifiable risk factors. Modifiable risk factors can be mitigated by making changes to your lifestyle.

Non-modifiable risk factors of heart disease:

• Age
  As you get older, your risk for developing heart disease increases
• Gender
  If you are male, you have a higher chance of developing heart disease
• Health history
  If you take certain medications and/or have other chronic diseases you may be at a higher risk of developing heart disease
• Family history
  Persons with immediate family members who have heart disease are at a higher risk of developing it

Modifiable risk factors of heart disease:

• Diet and high cholesterol
  Vegetarian diets are associated with a significantly lower risk of heart disease. Diets that are high in animal products are associated with a higher risk of disease
• Exercise
  People who exercise on a regular basis are at less risk of developing heart disease
• High blood pressure
  With changes to diet, lifestyle and medication factors, many people are able to manage their blood pressure
• Smoking
  The chemicals in cigarettes can affect your blood vessels and heart

This Wellness Screening Tool is designed to assess your level of risk for developing heart disease in the next 10 years. It will look at some of the risk factors for heart disease. This is not intended to diagnose the presence or absence of disease. If you are concerned about your heart health or your results from this Wellness Screening Tool, speak to your local General Practitioner.

The calculator estimates your risk using information from a well-known US study called the Framingham Heart Study. Note that this calculator:

• is suitable for adults between the ages of 30 and 79 only;
• is not suitable for people who already have known heart disease or diabetes; and
• is not validated for people of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent.