Heart Health 101.

Your heart beats around 100,000 times a day, pumping blood through thousands of miles of vessels. It often gives no warning signs when problems begin, which is why understanding cardiovascular risk is one of the most useful steps you can take for long-term health.

Think of cardiovascular risk as a weather forecast for your heart. If you know a storm is brewing, you can prepare.

What is cardiovascular risk?

Cardiovascular risk estimates the chance of developing heart disease, stroke, or circulation problems over a defined period. It is not a diagnosis. It is a prediction based on factors known to influence heart health, including age, sex, smoking, blood pressure, weight, cholesterol, diabetes, family history, ethnicity, kidney disease, and inflammatory disorders.

These factors can be measured in a health assessment and combined into a personalised risk score.

QRISK

QRISK is widely used in UK primary care. It uses demographic factors, medical history, blood pressure, and cholesterol to calculate 10-year cardiovascular risk.

Broadly, QRISK below 5% is low risk, 5-10% is moderate risk, and above 10% is higher risk where lifestyle changes and sometimes medication may be recommended.

Additional blood tests

Traditional cholesterol measures are useful, but newer biomarkers can add detail.

Apolipoprotein B (ApoB) counts atherogenic lipoprotein particles. Higher particle numbers can indicate higher risk even when LDL cholesterol appears normal.

Lipoprotein(a) is genetically determined and can increase risk of early heart disease independently of LDL cholesterol.

High-sensitivity C-reactive protein measures inflammation, which is involved in plaque formation and rupture.

NT-proBNP is more commonly used in heart failure assessment but can contribute information about cardiovascular risk.

Cardiac calcium scoring

A coronary artery calcium CT scan can detect calcium deposits in heart arteries, indicating underlying plaque. CT scans use X-rays and should only be used when the benefit outweighs the risk.

What you can do

Lifestyle changes can lower cardiovascular risk:

• Move more, aiming for regular activity across the week.
• Eat a heart-friendly diet.
• Stop smoking.
• Keep alcohol within sensible limits.
• Manage stress.
• Maintain a healthy weight.

How clinicians can help

Clinical care may include cholesterol management, blood pressure management, diabetes and pre-diabetes support, and specialist referral where advanced assessment or intervention is needed.

High blood pressure, high cholesterol, inflammation, and early plaque are often silent. Identifying risk early gives you a chance to intervene before disease develops.

If you would like a personalised risk assessment, explore our health checks or book an appointment.