About the Framingham Risk Score Calculator
The Framingham Risk Score estimates your chance of developing cardiovascular disease — coronary heart disease, stroke, peripheral artery disease or heart failure — over the next 10 years. This calculator uses the 2008 general cardiovascular risk profile published by D’Agostino and colleagues from the Framingham Heart Study, the lipid version that needs age, sex, total and HDL cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, blood-pressure treatment, smoking and diabetes.
It also reports your "heart age" (vascular age): the age of a person of the same sex with normal risk factors who would have the same 10-year risk. That figure is often easier to understand than a percentage. The equations were derived from 8,491 Framingham participants aged 30 to 74 without cardiovascular disease at baseline, so they apply to adults in that age range who have not already had a heart attack or stroke.
Framingham risk was developed in a mostly white US population and may overestimate risk in some groups (for example many European and Asian populations) and underestimate it in others. Many countries now prefer locally calibrated tools such as the Pooled Cohort Equations, QRISK3 or SCORE2; the Framingham score remains widely used in Canada and in research.
With the default inputs, the 10-year cardiovascular risk is 11.8%. Change any value above to recalculate instantly.
How to use the framingham risk score calculator
- 1Choose sex and enter age (30–74).
- 2Enter total and HDL cholesterol from a recent blood test, choosing mg/dL or mmol/L.
- 3Enter systolic blood pressure and whether you take blood pressure medication.
- 4Mark smoking and diabetes status.
- 5Read your 10-year risk, category and heart age, and check the what-if table.
Formula and method
The 2008 general CVD risk function is a sex-specific Cox model. Natural logs of age, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and systolic blood pressure (with separate coefficients for treated and untreated pressure) and indicators for smoking and diabetes are multiplied by their published coefficients and summed. That sum is compared with the cohort mean (26.1931 for women, 23.9802 for men) and applied to the 10-year baseline survival (0.95012 for women, 0.88936 for men).
Heart age solves the same equation for the age at which a person of the same sex with normal risk factors — total cholesterol 180 mg/dL, HDL 45 mg/dL, untreated systolic pressure 125 mmHg, non-smoker and no diabetes — would have the same predicted risk. Cholesterol entered in mmol/L is converted at 38.67 mg/dL per mmol/L.
- S₀
- Baseline 10-year survival (women 0.95012, men 0.88936)
- β
- Sex-specific regression coefficients from D’Agostino et al. 2008
- Σβx̄
- Mean risk score in the cohort (women 26.1931, men 23.9802)
Worked examples
55-year-old man, average numbers
With total cholesterol 213, HDL 50, untreated systolic pressure 130, no smoking and no diabetes, the risk score gives about 11.8% over 10 years — intermediate. A man with normal risk factors at 55 has about 10.1%, so this man’s heart age is about 58.
61-year-old woman who smokes, treated hypertension
For a 61-year-old woman with total cholesterol 240, HDL 55, treated systolic pressure 145 and current smoking, the women’s equation gives about 25.4% 10-year cardiovascular risk — high.
45-year-old man in mmol/L with diabetes
Total cholesterol 5.2 mmol/L (201 mg/dL) and HDL 1.1 mmol/L (42.5 mg/dL) are converted at 38.67, then combined with untreated systolic pressure 125 and diabetes. The 10-year risk is about 11.5%, in the intermediate band — diabetes adds substantially even with normal blood pressure.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good Framingham risk score?+
A 10-year risk below 10% is generally considered low, 10–19.9% intermediate and 20% or more high. These cut-offs are used in Canadian guidelines that rely on the Framingham score.
What does the Framingham score predict?+
The 2008 general version predicts total cardiovascular disease: coronary death, heart attack, angina, stroke, TIA, peripheral artery disease and heart failure within 10 years.
What is heart age?+
Heart age is the age of a person of the same sex with normal risk factors who would have your predicted risk. A heart age above your real age means your risk factors are aging your cardiovascular system.
How is Framingham different from the ASCVD risk calculator?+
The ASCVD Pooled Cohort Equations predict hard atherosclerotic events only (heart attack, coronary death, stroke) using several US cohorts. Framingham’s general CVD score includes softer outcomes like angina and heart failure, so its percentages are usually higher.
Can I use the Framingham score if I already have heart disease?+
No. The equations are for primary prevention in people without cardiovascular disease. If you have had a heart attack, stroke or revascularisation you are already considered high risk.
For healthcare professionals and education only. This calculator implements a published formula or score but is not a diagnosis and does not replace clinical judgment. Verify inputs and results against the original source before using them in patient care.