Heart Smart

Here is a test to estimate your risk factors for heart disease. It's hard to get away from family history. But it's also interesting that a few choices can alter your score pretty easily.

Heredity:
0 No family history of heart disease
5 One family member with a heart attack or stroke over the age of 60
10 One family member with a heart attack or stroke under the age of 60
15 2-3 family members deceased from heart disease before the age of 60

Gender and Age:
0 Female under the age of 55
0 Male under the age of 40
1 Male 40-55 years of age
2 Male or female over the age of 55

Cardiac History:
0 No known heart disease
10 Diagnosis of angina or other cardiac disease
15 History of heart attack, heart surgery or a stroke after the age of 55
25 History of heart attack, heart surgery or a stroke before the age of 55

Blood Pressure:
0 If the upper number is lower than 130 and the bottom number is lower than 65
4 If the upper number is 131-160 and the lower number is 86-95
8 If the upper number is 161-180 and the lower number is 96-105
12 If the upper number is 180 and the lower number is above 105

Smoking:
0 Never smoked or quit smoking more than 10 years ago
3 Quit less than 10 years ago
8 Smoke 1/2 to 1 pack a day
12 Smokes or smokes and takes birth control pills

Cholesterol:
0 Below 205
3 Between 205-230
5 Between 231-280
10 Greater than 280
4 Don't know

Diet consists of:
0 Mostly fish/poultry, 3 or less servings a week of red meat,
cheese and eggs, a moderate amount of margarine and skim milk
5 One serving or less a week of shellfish or organ meats, six or less
servings a week of red meat or eggs, use low fat milk products, margarine and a small amount of cheese
10 More than one serving a week of shellfish or organ meats, one serving or more a day of red meat, eggs, butter, whole milk products or cheese

Weight:
0 Optimal weight or 5-10 lbs. underweight
2 11-20 lbs. overweight
3 21-35 lbs. overweight
6 36-50 lbs. overweight
10 51 lbs. or more overweight

Exercise:
0 3 or more times a week for 30 minutes
3 1-2 times a week for 30 minutes
5 Sedentary job with none to minimal exercises

Stress:
0 Easy going, seldom impatient and true ability to relax
3 Impatient at times, sense a time urgency at times, or cannot
relax at times
5 Sense of time urgency, fiercely impatient, cannot relax or
all work/no play

Diabetes:
0 No family history and no symptoms
1 Family history and no symptoms
3 Borderline diabetic
5 Mild diabetic with dietary control
8 Oral medication control
12 Insulin control

Your Risk is ....
0-15 = minimal
16-29 = low
30-50 = moderate
51-75 = high
76-188 = dangerously high