Heart attack or stroke, here’s the calculator to assess your likelihood of having one (and how to reduce the risks)

By preventing certain risk factors, it would be possible to avoid 80% of deaths due to cardiovascular diseases. These include obesity, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia and arterial hypertension, to which a sedentary lifestyle, smoking and excessive salt consumption are added. However, according to Passi survey data, in 2022-2023, only 2% of those interviewed are completely free from exposure to a known cardiovascular risk: 41% of the sample, between 18 and 69 years old, at the ISS experts. recall due to World Heart Day (September 29), promoted by the World Heart Federation and the WHO.

One in three people die from cardiovascular disease, but 80% are preventable: let’s find out how

The calculator

Out of 100 Italians, 18 report that hypertension is diagnosed, 18 have hypercholesterolemia, 35 are unemployed, 24 smoke, 43 are obese and less than 7 eat 5 portions of fruit and vegetables every day. In addition, nearly 5% of the sample reported suffering from diabetes. Cardiovascular diseases represent the main cause of death in Italy with 217 thousand deaths. For this reason, there is now a risk ‘calculator’ online on the ISS website, which assesses the likelihood of a stroke or heart attack. Patients who already have one are considered “at very high risk”, explains Pasquale Perrone Filardi, President of Sic (Italian Society of Cardiology). «European guidelines recommend reaching LDL levels below 55 mg / dL – he continues – and even below 40 mg / dL for those who have multiple events. By engaging immediately after a heart attack, intensively with monoclonal antibodies blocking Pcsk9, it would reduce LDL levels by up to 70%.

heart attacks in young people increased, the cardiologist: «A thousand more cases a year». Causes, symptoms (different in women) and diet for prevention

How to prevent risks

To reduce the risks caused by arterial hypertension (affecting more than 60% of adults), the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) has also established new guidelines that recommend restrictions in the consumption of salt and sugar and treatments that reduce blood pressure values ​​more intensively. «An important change compared to the previous guidelines is the pharmacological treatment – explains Domenico Gabrielli, President of the Foundation for your heart at the National Association of Hospital Cardiologists – From blood pressure values ​​lower than 140/90 mmHg a it was indicated in the previous edition we have moved on to systolic values ​​values ​​between 120 and 129 mmHg, if accepted. Until now, a two-stage approach has been recommended with the first goal of values ​​lower than 140/90 mm Hg and, only after this goal is achieved, a goal of values ​​lower than 130/ 80 mmHg”, he concludes.