Keeping an eye on four metrics could help you estimate your lifetime risk of a heart attack. Understanding your risk could lead to prevention and action to lower the risk.
According to research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, every year 720,000 Americans have heart attacks. It's costly: Coronary heart disease alone costs the United States $108.9 billion each year. Prevention and early action are key.
Based on the 2013 ACC/AHA Guideline on the Assessment of Cardiovascular Risk, the Framingham Heart Study, and other research on how diet and exercise affects blood pressure, cholesterol, and cardiovascular health, they are:
Your total cholesterol (mg/dL)
HDL cholesterol (mg/dL)
Blood pressure (mmHg)
Smoking (cigarettes per week)
These aren't the only four metrics, but they are the most crucial ones.
A service called KnowYour4 helps you predict your lifetime risk of heart attack using those four metrics. This one provided by the government helps calculate a 10-year risk. Even if you don't know these numbers off the top of your head, it's important that you figure them out with a healthcare expert. You should also know the signs of a heart attack and when to call 911.
In case you don't have these numbers on you, KnowYour4 also provides you with a less accurate estimate using proxy metrics such as height, weight, blood pressure (you can leave this blank if you don't know it), and smoking. It also takes into consideration your sex, race/ethnicity, medication, and whether or not you have diabetes. In case you were curious, here's how they calculate the estimate.
KnowYour4 follows up results with a customized "lifestyle debugger" to instruct you on how to lower your percentage risk based on a questionnaire you submit. Hit the link to check it out.