Calculate your Heart Health Risk Score

Are you at risk of heart disease?

What is your risk of heart disease? Our quick health quiz can help assess your risk and provide tips on healthy living, diet and exercise to improve your heart health. While this test is not meant to replace an assessment by your doctor, it can give you an indication of your current heart health and assist you in planning a heart healthy programme.

• Is there a history of heart disease in your family?
  • Yes - relatives such as cousins or uncles (2 points)
  • No - or not to my knowledge (3 points)
  • Yes - one or both of my parents (1 point)

• How often do you eat fatty foods like full-cream dairy products, cakes, chips and fried foods?
  • Every day (1 point)
  • Around once a week or less (3 points)
  • Two or three times per week, on average (2 points)

• Are you overweight?
  • No - I’m about the right weight for my height, give or take a few kilos (3 points)
  • Yes - I’m obese and need to lose a lot of weight (1 point)
  • Yes - I could afford to lose a bit of weight (2 points)

• If you’re overweight, where do you tend to carry those extra kilos?
  • Around my stomach (1 point)
  • Around my hips (2 points)
  • I’m not overweight (3 points)

• Do you smoke cigarettes?
  • Yes - I smoke every day (1 point)
  • No - I don’t smoke (3 points)
  • Sometimes, perhaps on the weekends or when socialising (2 points)

• Do you exercise regularly?
  • Yes - I exercise at least four times per week (3 points)
  • Yes - about two or three times per week (2 points)
  • I hardly exercise at all (1 point)

YOUR TOTAL SCORE:        __________

Score 0 to 6:
Your poor lifestyle choices are putting you at risk of heart disease. Make an appointment with your doctor for some valuable help and guidance on how to make the necessary changes.

Score 6 to 11:
Some of your lifestyle habits could be increasing your risk of heart disease. A few changes, such as modifying your diet or quitting cigarettes, can significantly reduce your risk. Browse through the WellatPfizer articles for healthy lifestyle suggestions, or talk to your doctor.

Score 12+:
Congratulations, your lifestyle choices are substantially reducing your risk of heart disease.

How can I increase activity levels?

Some simple ways to increase activity levels are:

• take the stairs or walk up escalators to tone your legs and buttocks
• walk to the shops instead of driving, and carry the shopping bags home to give your arms a good workout
• cycle or walk short distances rather than using the car
• get off the bus or train a stop early
• use your lunch break to go for a stroll.

You can split the recommended 30 minutes into manageable chunks – for example a ten minute walk to and from the bus stop to your place of work, plus a five minute walk to the shops and back. Energetic household chores like vacuuming, washing the windows and gardening or washing your car also count as exercise.

You may want to invest in a pedometer, an electronic device that clips on your waistband and records how many steps are taken. This will give you a base level from which to increase. Experts recommend 10,000 steps a day.

Finally, weekends are a great opportunity to be more active. From country walks to busy shopping trips and to health spas, there is a range of venues and activities to suit everyone.

How do I know if it's working?

Exercise means raising your heart beat - you may experience this with a gentle stroll or need to walk briskly. You should feel your body working quite hard, but still be able to talk.
Don't exercise at one level: build to a maximum pace and then slow down before the end of the session.

Always warm up at the start of a session, and take time to cool down at the end with some simple stretches.

Five ways to get fit

1. Exercise with a friend. This increases your motivation to get to that class or gym session.
2. Join an exercise class. There's a huge range on offer, from body combat to the more traditional legs, bums and tums. Your local gym will have a list, and they often cater for different groups such as over-50s and pregnant women. It may take a little while to feel comfortable with the new moves, but you will improve after a few weeks.
3. Join a fitness club that's easy for you to get to. Take advantage of the instructors' experience to get you started on an appropriate exercise programme.
4. For something more gentle and controlled, try yoga or Pilates. These are excellent alternatives for building muscle strength, tone and flexibility.
5.  Use your imagination. Dance classes equal exercise and can be anything from ballroom to salsa

Written and Endorsed by Ronald Abvajee – MYPERSONALTRAINER
The information contained on this page expresses the views of the author and may not necessarily represent the views of Pfizer