Risk scorecard
Heart and Metabolic Risk Scorecard for Women
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women, and risk climbs after menopause. Enter the numbers you have, from a recent checkup or home readings, to see each one against current guidelines and how many metabolic syndrome criteria you meet.
Reviewed October 24, 2026 · Free to use · Your answers stay on this device
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- 5metabolic syndrome criteria counted
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Heart Risk Often Looks Different in Women
Women more often have symptoms such as unusual fatigue, shortness of breath, nausea or jaw and back pain instead of classic chest pressure, and standard tests sometimes miss disease in the small vessels of the heart.
After menopause
Risk climbs
LDL cholesterol, blood pressure and waist size tend to rise in the years around menopause.
Pregnancy history
An early clue
Preeclampsia, gestational diabetes and high blood pressure in pregnancy raise heart risk later in life and are worth telling every doctor.
Beyond the numbers
How the heart works
An MCG heart scan is an FDA-cleared, resting test that analyzes the heart's electrical signals for signs of reduced blood flow.
Common Questions
Is this a 10-year heart risk calculator?
No. A 10-year estimate, such as the American Heart Association's PREVENT calculator, needs total cholesterol, kidney function and medication details, and is best run with a clinician. This scorecard shows where each number sits against guidelines and counts the metabolic syndrome criteria.
What is metabolic syndrome?
Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of risk factors: a large waist, high triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol, raised blood pressure and raised fasting glucose. Meeting three or more of the five criteria raises the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Why does menopause change heart risk?
Falling estrogen shifts cholesterol, blood pressure and where the body stores fat. LDL cholesterol often rises in the years around menopause, and waist size tends to increase even when weight stays stable.
Do home blood pressure readings count?
Yes. Guidelines value home readings taken correctly: seated, back supported, feet flat, arm at heart level, after five minutes of rest. Average two readings taken a minute apart, morning and evening, over several days.
Sources and How This Tool Works
Blood pressure categories follow the 2017 ACC/AHA guideline, kept in the 2025 AHA/ACC update, which calls 180/120 or higher severe hypertension. Waist-to-height ratio bands follow NICE (2022). Glucose and A1C follow the American Diabetes Association. LDL bands follow the National Cholesterol Education Program. Metabolic syndrome criteria follow the AHA/NHLBI harmonized definition for women: waist 35 inches (88 cm) or more, triglycerides 150 mg/dL or more, HDL below 50 mg/dL, blood pressure 130/85 or more, and fasting glucose 100 mg/dL or more. Medication for any of these counts toward the criterion. Everything runs in your browser.
- American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology. 2025 high blood pressure guideline
- NICE. Obesity: identification, assessment and management (waist-to-height ratio), 2022
- American Diabetes Association. Standards of Care in Diabetes: Diagnosis and Classification
- Grundy SM et al. Diagnosis and management of the metabolic syndrome, AHA/NHLBI scientific statement. Circulation, 2005
- American Heart Association. PREVENT risk calculator
General health information, reviewed October 24, 2026. This tool informs; it does not diagnose, treat or replace care from a licensed clinician, and the linked sources' current versions control. Blood pressure of 180/120 or higher with chest pain, shortness of breath, weakness, vision change or trouble speaking is an emergency: call 911. If something feels urgent, call 911 or your doctor.
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