ASCVD RISKS: STEPS TO A STRONGER HEART

World Heart Day is around the corner, and it is a good reminder for all of us to think about our heart health.

- By Rajiv Ambat, Lifestyle Disorders Coach & Founder - SOLVEMyHealth. Rajiv Ambat is a well-known speaker and the author of the best-selling book 'The Midriff Crisis'. As a lifestyle expert, Rajiv leads the team at SOLVEMyHealth, which includes experienced dieticians, exercise specialists, and medical doctors. Together, they help clients manage a wide range of health concerns through structured, scientific, and personalised lifestyle interventions. The team specialises in treating and managing lifestyle-related conditions such as obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, fatty liver, and PCOS through customised diet and exercise plans tailored to each individual's needs.

Heart disease and stroke continue to be leading causes of death worldwide, including in India. To better understand these risks, doctors now often use the concept of ASCVD—Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease. This term refers to conditions that happen when arteries get damaged and narrowed because of plaque buildup. ASCVD includes heart attacks, strokes, and even blockages in the arteries of the legs. In simple terms, it is about how healthy or unhealthy our blood vessels are, and how that affects both the heart and the brain.

Heart health and stroke are closely connected because they share the same root causes. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, being overweight, unhealthy diet, lack of exercise, stress, and poor sleep all increase the chances of both heart attack and stroke. When the arteries that carry blood to the heart get blocked, it can cause a heart attack. When the arteries supplying blood to the brain get blocked or rupture, it leads to a stroke. In both situations, lifestyle plays a big role in either reducing or worsening the risk.

ASCVD Risk Calculator

ASCVD risk is a way of estimating how likely a person is to develop a heart attack or stroke within the next 10 years. Doctors may use this risk score to identify who needs lifestyle changes alone and who may also need medications for better protection. The calculation is based on a few key numbers and habits, all related to your heart health - your age, sex, cholesterol levels, blood pressure, whether you have diabetes, and whether you smoke. For advanced and more precise calculations, family history, weight, and kidney health are also included.