Health topic · Heart & circulation
Cardiovascular risk
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. Learn which risk factors matter, which blood tests are used and how risk is usually assessed.
Written by LON6EVITY Editorial Team · Last updated
Overview
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a general term for conditions affecting the heart or blood vessels, such as coronary heart disease and stroke. The WHO describes CVDs as the leading cause of death globally.
Main risk factors
The NHS lists high blood pressure, smoking, high cholesterol, diabetes, inactivity, being overweight, family history and older age among the main risk factors. Many of these can be measured and several can be changed.
How risk is assessed
Clinicians usually combine age, sex, blood pressure, cholesterol results, smoking status and diabetes into a risk estimate rather than relying on a single number. Blood markers such as LDL cholesterol, ApoB and Lp(a) add detail to that picture.
Reducing risk
Stopping smoking, regular physical activity, a balanced diet, limiting alcohol and keeping blood pressure and cholesterol in check are consistently recommended. Some people are also offered medicines such as statins after discussing their overall risk with a doctor.
Factors that can affect the result
- Blood pressure
- Cholesterol and ApoB
- Smoking
- Diabetes
- Family history
- Age
Questions people commonly ask
- Can a single blood test tell me my heart risk?
- No. Risk is estimated from several factors together. Individual results are best interpreted by a clinician in context.
- Is cardiovascular risk only about cholesterol?
- No. Blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, activity and family history all contribute.
Related biomarkers
Related tests
Related topics
Understand your biomarkers in context
What does this mean for your own health data? Log your results, follow trends over time and bring an organised summary to your next doctor's appointment.