The American Heart Association has developed a questionnaire for the general public, to inform them of their relative risk of having a first heart attack.
Question |
Answer |
Points |
my age and gender |
male < 35 years old |
0 |
|
male 35-39 years old |
1 |
|
male 40-48 years old |
2 |
|
male 49-53 years old |
3 |
|
male 54 or more years old |
4 |
|
female < 42 years old |
0 |
|
female 42-44 years old |
1 |
|
female 45-54 years old |
2 |
|
female 55-73 years old |
3 |
|
female 74 or more years old |
4 |
My family has a history of heart disease or heart attack before the age of 60. |
Yes |
2 |
|
No |
0 |
I rarely exercise or do anything physically demanding. |
Yes |
1 |
|
No |
0 |
I am more than 20 pounds over my ideal weight. |
No |
0 |
|
Yes |
1 |
I am a smoker. |
Yes |
1 |
|
No |
0 |
I am a diabetic. |
Yes, and male. |
1 |
|
Yes, and female. |
2 |
|
No. |
0 |
total cholesterol level |
< 240 mg/dL |
0 |
|
240 - 315 mg/dL |
1 |
|
> 315 mg/dL |
2 |
HDL ("good") cholesterol level |
> 60 mg/dL |
-1 |
|
39 - 59 mg/dL |
0 |
|
30 - 38 mg/dL |
1 |
|
< 30 mg/dL |
2 |
blood pressure |
I don't take blood pressure medications, and my top or higher blood pressure is < 140 mm Hg. |
0 |
|
I don't take blood pressure medications, and my top or higher blood pressure is 140-170 mm Hg. |
1 |
|
I don't take blood pressure medications, and my top or higher blood pressure is > 170 mm Hg. |
2 |
|
I am currently taking blood pressure medications. |
1 |
score =
= SUM (points for all questions)
Interpretation
• minimum score: -1
• maximum score: 17
• A score 4 or higher indicates an above average risk of a first heart attack as compared to the general adult population
• The higher the score, the greater a person's risk.
Purpose: To use the questionaire developed by the American Heart Association to determine a patient's risk of a first myocardial infarction.
Specialty: Cardiology
Objective: risk factors
ICD-10: I20-I25,