New Calculator Forecasts Heart Disease Risk for Younger Adults

As of November 17, 2025, a new online calculator has been developed to help younger adults aged 30 to 59 forecast their long-term risk of developing heart disease. The free tool, created by researchers at Northwestern Medicine, calculates a person's 30-year risk of experiencing a heart attack, stroke, or heart failure using factors like blood pressure, cholesterol, smoking status, and diabetes history.

The calculator provides users with their percentile ranking among their peers of the same age and sex, serving as a "wake-up call" for those at high risk. Experts note that around one in seven young adults who are at low risk in the short-term can actually face a high risk over the next 30 years.

By identifying these high-risk individuals earlier, the researchers hope the calculator will encourage younger adults to adopt heart-healthy habits and seek preventive interventions, such as lifestyle modifications or earlier use of medications. The goal is to bend the curve on future heart disease rates, which currently account for the leading cause of death globally but are estimated to be 80% preventable.