Based on UKPDS Cardiac Risk Calculator.

*Smoking increases blood pressure, the blood’s tendency to clot and risk of recurrent coronary surgery and decreases levels of HDL (good cholesterol).

**Hemoglobin A1c is associated with blood glucose control and may indicate risk of increased arterial diameter and thickness.

***Excretion of albumin in the urine is considered an early marker of cardiac disease. Microalbuminuria is highly prevalent in hypertensive and diabetic patients.

• Patients over 40 with high LDL cholesterol (higher than 100 mg/dL) are prescribed statins to reduce cardiac risk but in some cases, medication is unnecessary because there are no other risk factors. By using stratifying tools such as this one clinicians can customize risk management.
• By comparison to the Framingham CHD risk score, the UKPDS has similar sensitivity but was found to perform slightly better.