Your result is a percentage representing your estimated probability of experiencing a cardiovascular event (heart attack, stroke, or cardiovascular death) within the next 10 years. A risk below 10% is considered low, 10–20% is intermediate, and above 20% is high.

For intermediate-risk patients, the result is especially important because it often drives the conversation about whether to start preventive therapies such as statins. Current guidelines generally recommend discussing statin therapy when the 10-year risk is 7.5–10% or higher, though shared decision-making with the patient is essential.

The Framingham Risk Score is intended for primary prevention — meaning adults aged 30–79 who have not yet had a cardiovascular event (no prior heart attack, stroke, or established atherosclerotic disease). It is commonly used during routine check-ups, annual physicals, or when a patient has newly identified risk factors like elevated cholesterol or hypertension.

It is a good starting point for risk-stratification conversations and can motivate patients to make lifestyle changes by putting their risk into concrete, understandable terms.

The Framingham Risk Score was derived primarily from a white American population in Framingham, Massachusetts. It may overestimate risk in some populations (e.g., Japanese, Spanish) and underestimate risk in others (e.g., South Asian, Indigenous Australian). The ACC/AHA Pooled Cohort Equations (ASCVD Risk Calculator) may be more appropriate for racially diverse populations.

The score does not incorporate family history of premature CVD, C-reactive protein, coronary artery calcium scores, or other emerging risk markers. It also does not account for the duration or intensity of risk factor exposure — a lifelong smoker and a recent starter receive the same points.

Patients with existing cardiovascular disease should not use this calculator, as they are already in a high-risk category requiring secondary prevention strategies.