UK guidelines recommend that all people aged 40 or more should have a routine cardiovascular risk assessment. A risk factor calculator is commonly used by doctors to assess the risk of you developing a cardiovascular disease such as heart attack, angina, stroke and peripheral vascular disease.  One such calculator is the QRISK2 which with some simple information you can calculate for yourself.  Alternatively similar data can be gained from colour graphs as pictured below.

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Common risk factors for heart disease include family history, cigarette smoking, diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

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If someone is deemed at high risk by these scores, then further tests or treatments may be required.  For the most part, attention is directed as modifying risk factors to reduce the statistical risk of cardiovascular disease.