Sample Score Sheet for Estimating Coronary Heart Disease Risk

As an illustration for using the score sheets, consider a 55 year old man with a total cholesterol of 250 mg/dL, HDL cholesterol of 39 mg/dL, blood pressure of 146/88, diabetic and a non-smoker.

Use the Total Cholesterol Score Sheet when total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol are available. Use the LDL Cholesterol Score Sheet when LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol are available.

Step Factor Points
1Age = 55 years4
2*Total cholesterol = 250 mg/dL2
3 HDL cholesterol = 39 mg/dL 1
4Blood pressure = 146/88 mm Hg2
5Diabetic = yes2
6Cigarette smoker = no0
7Point Total11
8Estimated 10 Year CHD Risk31%
9 Low 10 Year CHD Risk 7%
 Relative Risk (step 8 divided by step 9) 31/7 = 4.4
*Use of the LDL cholesterol approach in the scoresheets is appropriate when fasting LDL cholesterol estimates are available. The approach is analogous to that shown for total cholesterol categories.

Dividing the subject's risk by the low risk provides an estimate of the relative risk, where 31% divided by 7% = 4.4, meaning that coronary risk for this individual is approximately 4 times that of a man the same age with a low risk profile.

The average and low risk of CHD over 10 years for a 55 year old man are 16% and 7% respectively . The average risk was derived from the experience of Framingham men and women, using their average risk factor levels to provide the estimates. The low risk was calculated using the following factors:

  1. persons of the same age
  2. optimal blood pressure
  3. total cholesterol 160-199 mg/dL
  4. HDL cholesterol 45 mg/dL for men or 55 mg/dL for women
  5. non-smoker
  6. no diabetes

NHLBI Home Page    Back to the Framingham Score Sheets

 





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