This calculator is for general information and education. It is not medical advice and does not replace the judgment of a doctor, nurse or pharmacist who knows the full clinical picture.
What the Framingham score estimates
The Framingham Heart Study began in 1948 in Framingham, Massachusetts, and has followed thousands of residents and their children ever since. Its data produced the first risk equations for heart disease. This calculator uses the general cardiovascular risk equation published by D’Agostino and colleagues in 2008, which estimates the 10-year chance of a first cardiovascular event, including coronary heart disease, stroke, peripheral artery disease and heart failure.
Who it applies to
Adults aged 30 to 74 without known cardiovascular disease. It is not designed for people who already had a heart attack or stroke, who are at high risk anyway, nor for people with very high cholesterol from familial hypercholesterolemia.
Inputs
- Age and sex
- Total and HDL cholesterol, in mg/dL, or mmol/L
- Systolic blood pressure, and whether it is treated
- Smoking and diabetes
The equation combines the logarithms of the continuous values with sex-specific coefficients, then converts the result into a 10-year risk using the baseline survival of the study population.
Example
A 55-year-old man who does not smoke and has no diabetes, with a total cholesterol of 213 mg/dL, HDL of 50 mg/dL and an untreated systolic blood pressure of 120 mmHg, has a 10-year risk of about 10.2%, in the intermediate range. If he smoked, his risk would rise to about 19%.
Interpreting the result
- Below 10%: low risk; keep a healthy lifestyle.
- 10 to 20%: intermediate risk; discuss lifestyle changes and whether treatment is useful.
- 20% or more: high risk; treatment of blood pressure and cholesterol is usually recommended.
Limits
The Framingham population was mostly white and middle-class, so the score can overestimate risk in some groups and underestimate it in others. US guidelines now use the pooled cohort equations or the AHA PREVENT equations, which may give different results. Treat this score as one input to a conversation with your doctor, who will also consider family history, kidney function, weight and other factors.