Are You at Risk?
Most people believe that if their cholesterol is normal, they are safe from heart disease. This is one of the most dangerous myths in modern medicine.
The Cholesterol Myth
Half of all heart attack victims have normal cholesterol levels. A standard cholesterol test measures the amount of cholesterol in your blood, but it tells you nothing about the condition of your arteries. You can have perfect cholesterol numbers and still have significant plaque buildup.
Beyond the Framingham Risk Score
For decades, doctors have relied on the Framingham Risk Score to estimate a patient's risk of heart attack. This tool uses age, gender, cholesterol, blood pressure, and smoking status to generate a statistical prediction. But it is just that — a prediction based on population averages.
The Framingham model cannot tell you whether you personally have plaque in your arteries. It can only tell you that people with similar numbers tend to have a certain level of risk. Many patients who score “low risk” on the Framingham scale have had heart attacks.
What Actually Determines Your Risk
True cardiovascular risk is determined by what is happening inside your arteries right now. Advanced imaging can reveal:
- Coronary artery calcium deposits
- Soft plaque that hasn't yet calcified (the most dangerous kind)
- Arterial wall thickness (intima-media thickness)
- Inflammation markers that signal active disease
At the Heart Attack Prevention Center, we use these tools — not just blood tests — to determine your actual risk and build a personalized prevention plan.