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Framingham Risk Calculator

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Calculate the classic Framingham general cardiovascular disease risk score from age, cholesterol, blood pressure, and smoking status to estimate 10-year risk.

Written by · Reviewed by the thecalcu.com team · Last updated September 4, 2026

years
mg/dL
mg/dL
mmHg

10-Year CVD Risk

0%
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Total Points
0

Not a substitute for clinical judgment. Statin and antihypertensive therapy decisions must weigh this estimate alongside your full medical history — always consult a cardiologist or qualified healthcare provider before starting, stopping, or changing treatment.

Medical disclaimer: This calculator is for general information and educational use only. It is not a diagnosis and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider about your health and before acting on any result.

What is a Framingham Risk?

The Framingham Risk Calculator computes the classic 2008 Framingham general cardiovascular disease risk profile, a points-based system developed by D'Agostino and colleagues from the Framingham Heart Study. It converts age, sex, total and HDL cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, hypertension treatment status, smoking, and diabetes into a total points score, then maps that score to an estimated 10-year cardiovascular disease risk percentage using the original published conversion table. It is an educational screening and estimation aid, not a diagnosis, and it does not replace assessment by a qualified clinician.

Enter your details below to see your total points and estimated 10-year risk. For the newer ACC/AHA Pooled Cohort Equations approach, see the CVD Risk Calculator; for a closer look at your lipid profile, see the Cholesterol Ratio Calculator.

Why Use a Framingham Risk Calculator?

The classic Framingham system uses separate age-stratified point tables for cholesterol and smoking, plus sex-specific tables for nearly every factor, a lot of lookup-table cross-referencing to do correctly by hand. This calculator applies the correct tables automatically and instantly converts your total points into a risk percentage.

It's useful for reviewing your own cardiovascular risk factors ahead of a physician visit, or for comparing how this classic scoring method differs from newer approaches like the Pooled Cohort Equations.

Who Should Use This Calculator?

Adults without existing cardiovascular disease who want to understand their Framingham-based general cardiovascular disease risk, as still referenced in various clinical and research contexts, are the primary audience for this tool. Medical and nursing students studying the history and mechanics of cardiovascular risk scoring can use it to check worked point-table examples.

This calculator is strictly for informational and educational purposes. It is not a substitute for a cardiologist's or physician's clinical judgment, decisions about statin therapy, blood pressure medication, or further cardiac testing must always be made with a qualified healthcare provider who can evaluate your complete medical history, not from this tool alone.

What Insights Does the Framingham Risk Calculator Give You?

10-Year CVD Risk is the primary result, your estimated probability, as a percentage, of a general cardiovascular disease event within the next 10 years, based on the classic Framingham points-to-risk conversion table.

Total Points shows the intermediate sum across all scored factors, useful for understanding how each input contributed before the final percentage lookup. Risk Category translates the percentage into a plain-language low, moderate, or high risk classification.

How to use this Framingham Risk calculator

  1. Enter your Age.
  2. Select your Sex.
  3. Enter your Total Cholesterol and HDL Cholesterol in mg/dL.
  4. Enter your Systolic Blood Pressure in mmHg.
  5. Select whether you're Treated for Hypertension.
  6. Select your Current Smoker status and Diabetes status.
  7. Review your 10-Year CVD Risk, Total Points, and Risk Category, and discuss the result with a qualified cardiologist or physician.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Treating Framingham as the current standard. US guidelines now favor the ACC/AHA Pooled Cohort Equations for 10-year ASCVD risk. Framingham can over- or under-estimate risk in non-white populations and outside ages 30–74.
  • Entering a single blood-pressure or cholesterol reading. Risk factors should reflect your usual values. A one-off high reading on the day inflates the estimate and can lead to unnecessary medication.
  • Using the score to self-start or stop statins. The number is one input into a shared decision that also weighs family history, coronary calcium, and side-effect tolerance with a clinician.
Show formula & methodology ↓Hide formula & methodology ↑

Formula & Methodology

The classic Framingham general cardiovascular risk profile sums age-band points, cholesterol points (which vary by age band), HDL points, systolic BP points (which vary by treatment status), smoking points (which vary by age band), and diabetes points, all from separate tables for men and women. The total points score is then converted to a 10-year risk percentage using the original published lookup table (D'Agostino RB Sr, et al. "General Cardiovascular Risk Profile for Use in Primary Care: The Framingham Heart Study." Circulation. 2008;117(6):743-753).

Worked example: A 55-year-old woman with a total cholesterol of 220 mg/dL, HDL of 45 mg/dL, untreated systolic BP of 125 mmHg, who does not smoke and does not have diabetes, accumulates roughly 6 (age) + 4 (cholesterol) + 1 (HDL) + 1 (BP) = 12 points total, which maps to an estimated 10-year risk in the low-to-moderate range per the published conversion table, illustrating how several moderate factors combine into an overall risk estimate.

Authoritative References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Framingham Risk Calculator based on?

This calculator implements the classic 2008 Framingham general cardiovascular disease risk profile developed by D'Agostino and colleagues, using a points-based system built from age, sex, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, hypertension treatment status, smoking, and diabetes. It converts a total points score into an estimated 10-year cardiovascular disease risk percentage using the original published lookup table.

How is this different from the CVD Risk Calculator in this same tool set?

The [CVD Risk Calculator](/cvd-risk-calculator/) implements the newer 2013 ACC/AHA Pooled Cohort Equations, a continuous natural-log formula derived from more racially diverse cohorts, while this calculator implements the older, simpler points-based Framingham system. Both estimate related but distinct 10-year cardiovascular risk figures and can produce different results for the same person.

Why does total cholesterol scoring depend on age?

The original Framingham study found that the relationship between total cholesterol and cardiovascular risk weakens with age, so the points table assigns fewer cholesterol-related points to older age brackets even at the same cholesterol level. This age interaction is a distinctive feature of the classic Framingham scoring system.

Why do men and women have different point tables?

Framingham risk factors, including age, smoking, and blood pressure, contribute differently to cardiovascular risk in men versus women based on the original cohort data, so the published scoring system uses entirely separate point tables for each sex. This calculator automatically applies the correct table based on the sex you select.

What do the risk categories mean here?

This calculator classifies a 10-year risk under 10% as low risk, 10% to 20% as moderate risk, and above 20% as high risk, following commonly used general cardiovascular risk thresholds. These bands provide context but final treatment decisions depend on many factors beyond this score alone.

Why does smoking add different points at different ages?

Similar to cholesterol, the impact of smoking on relative cardiovascular risk was found to diminish with age in the original Framingham cohort, so the points table assigns more smoking-related points to younger smokers than to older ones. A 30-year-old smoker and a 75-year-old smoker receive different point additions for the same smoking status.

Does treated hypertension change my score even at the same blood pressure reading?

Yes, the points table assigns higher points for a treated systolic blood pressure reading than for the same reading if untreated, because being on medication for a given blood pressure level reflects a history of more severe underlying hypertension. Select 'Yes' only if you are currently taking blood pressure medication.

Can this calculator tell me whether I need cholesterol or blood pressure medication?

No, this calculator is for informational and educational purposes only and simply reproduces a published points-based scoring system. Decisions about starting or adjusting statin or antihypertensive therapy must always be made together with a qualified cardiologist or physician who can evaluate your complete medical history, never from this tool alone.

Is the Framingham Risk Score still used in modern practice?

It has largely been superseded by newer tools like the ACC/AHA Pooled Cohort Equations in current US guidelines, though it remains a widely referenced and studied risk model, particularly for general cardiovascular disease outcomes beyond just heart attack and stroke. Many international guidelines still reference Framingham-derived risk concepts.

What outcomes does the Framingham general cardiovascular score predict?

Unlike some narrower coronary-specific Framingham equations, the general cardiovascular disease risk profile used here predicts a composite outcome including coronary death, myocardial infarction, coronary insufficiency, angina, stroke, transient ischemic attack, peripheral artery disease, and heart failure. This makes it a broader risk measure than tools focused solely on heart attack or stroke.

How does the HDL cholesterol scoring work?

HDL cholesterol of 60 mg/dL or higher actually subtracts a point from your total score because higher HDL is protective, while HDL under 40 mg/dL adds 2 points reflecting increased risk. This is the same direction of effect as most modern cardiovascular risk models, though the exact point values are specific to this scoring system.

How does this relate to the Cholesterol Ratio Calculator?

The total cholesterol and HDL values entered here are the same two numbers used by the [Cholesterol Ratio Calculator](/cholesterol-ratio-calculator/) to compute your total-to-HDL ratio, an alternative way of viewing the same underlying lipid data. Reviewing both together can give useful additional context on your cardiovascular risk profile.
Also known as
Framingham heart study risk calculatorclassic Framingham score calculatorgeneral cardiovascular risk profile calculatorD'Agostino Framingham risk calculator10-year CVD risk points calculator