AHA PREVENT Risk Calculator
The Sandusky Dyslipidemia Model uses the official American Heart Association (AHA) PREVENT calculator for estimating 10-year and 30-year total cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, including ASCVD and heart failure components.
Citation: Khan SS, Matsushita K, Sang Y, et al. Development and validation of the American Heart Association’s PREVENT equations. Circulation. 2024;149(6):e430–e449.
Opens on the American Heart Association website
About the PREVENT Equations
The PREVENT (Predicting Risk of CVD EVENTs) equations were developed and validated by the American Heart Association and published in Circulation (2024). They replace the older Pooled Cohort Equations (PCE) as the preferred risk estimation tool in the 2026 ACC/AHA/Multisociety Guidelines on the Management of Dyslipidemia.
Key features of the PREVENT equations:
- Estimates 10-year and 30-year total CVD risk (ASCVD + heart failure combined)
- Also provides ASCVD-specific and HF-specific risk estimates
- Incorporates eGFR and BMI as predictors — better accounting for CKD and obesity
- Validated in diverse U.S. populations
- Does not require race/ethnicity as an input (unlike the PCE)
Required Inputs
| Input | Range |
|---|---|
| Age | 30–79 years |
| Sex | Male / Female |
| Systolic blood pressure (mm Hg) | — |
| Total cholesterol (mg/dL) | — |
| HDL-C (mg/dL) | — |
| eGFR (mL/min/1.73 m²) | — |
| BMI (kg/m²) | — |
| Current smoker | Yes / No |
| Diabetes | Yes / No |
| On antihypertensive medication | Yes / No |
| On statin | Yes / No |
Optional: HbA1c (if diabetic), urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR)
Risk Categories (2026 ACC/AHA Guidelines)
| 10-Year Total CVD Risk | Category | Implication |
|---|---|---|
| < 3% | Low | Lifestyle modification; pharmacotherapy generally not indicated |
| 3% to < 5% | Borderline | Evaluate risk enhancers; shared decision-making for statin therapy |
| 5% to < 10% | Intermediate | Moderate-to-high intensity statin indicated; evaluate risk enhancers |
| ≥ 10% | High | High-intensity statin; aggressive lipid lowering |
The PREVENT calculator estimates population-level risk. Final risk category assignment at The Sandusky Dyslipidemia Model integrates the PREVENT score with risk enhancers, ApoB, Lp(a), and CAC scoring per 04 — Risk Stratification.
References
- Khan SS, Matsushita K, Sang Y, et al. Development and validation of the American Heart Association’s PREVENT equations. Circulation. 2024;149(6):e430–e449.
- 2026 ACC/AHA/Multisociety Guideline on the Management of Dyslipidemia. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2026.