Five measurable risk factors account for more than half of all cardiovascular disease.
- Heart attack: In a study of around 30,000 people from 52 countries, modifiable factors accounted for 90% of heart attack risk in men and 94% in women.
- Five factors dominate: In an analysis of 1.5 million people from 34 countries, blood pressure, cholesterol, excess weight, smoking and diabetes were the dominant risk factors for cardiovascular disease, led by blood pressure.
- Blood pressure: Every 10 mmHg reduction in systolic (upper) blood pressure lowers major cardiovascular events by about 20%.
- Cholesterol: Every reduction in LDL cholesterol of around 40 mg/dl lowers major vascular events by about 22%.
- Our approach: In the heart check-up, we measure blood pressure, blood lipids including lipoprotein(a), and blood sugar, and take your family history and lifestyle into account. Where appropriate, we also examine the heart and arteries with ultrasound or cardiac CT. This gives a precise picture of your personal risk.
- What it means for your heart: Once you know your risk factors, they can be treated in a targeted way, often through changes in daily life and with medication where needed. We set targets for blood pressure and LDL together with you and check them regularly. The earlier this starts, the more your heart and arteries benefit.
Learn more about prevention and longevity and our heart check-up.
More than half of young women who sought medical advice before their heart attack were told: it’s not your heart.
- Warning signs are missed: In a study of almost 3,000 heart attack patients under 55, women were considerably more likely than men to have atypical symptoms such as nausea, stomach complaints or pain in the jaw, neck and shoulder. Of those who had sought medical advice in the week before, more than half of the women were told it was not their heart.
- Pregnancy as an early warning sign: In pre-eclampsia, blood pressure rises sharply in the second half of pregnancy, often together with protein in the urine. It usually settles after the birth, but the later risk of coronary heart disease remains about twice as high, and the risk of high blood pressure almost four times as high. Gestational diabetes also doubles the later risk of cardiovascular disease.
- Early menopause: If menopause begins before the age of 40, cardiovascular risk rises by 55%; with menopause between 40 and 44, by 30%. This is based on data from more than 300,000 women.
- After menopause, blood pressure and LDL cholesterol rise markedly in many women.
- Our approach: In women’s cardiology, we ask specifically about pregnancy complications, menopause and hormonal factors and include them in your risk assessment. We investigate symptoms thoroughly, even when they do not follow the typical pattern.
- What it means for your heart: Women-specific risks can often be recognised years before heart disease develops and treated in a targeted way, for example rising blood pressure or raised cholesterol after menopause.
Learn more about women’s cardiology.
Sources: Global Cardiovascular Risk Consortium, N Engl J Med 2023;389:1273–1285. Yusuf S et al., Lancet 2004;364:937–952. Ettehad D et al., Lancet 2016;387:957–967. Cholesterol Treatment Trialists’ Collaboration, Lancet 2010;376:1670–1681. Lichtman JH et al., Circulation 2018;137:781–790. Bellamy L et al., BMJ 2007;335:974. Kramer CK et al., Diabetologia 2019;62:905–914. Zhu D et al., Lancet Public Health 2019;4:e553–e564.
