QRISK is a tool used to estimate your risk of developing heart disease or stroke over the next 10 years. It uses factors like your age, sex, smoking status, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, family history, and medical conditions. 

• A QRISK below 10% means your risk is relatively low.
• A QRISK between 10% and 20% means your risk is moderate, we might suggest lifestyle changes or medication.
• A QRISK over 20% means you have a higher risk, and treatment like statins is usually recommended to reduce that risk.

  Cardiovascular Health Risk Assessment

Statins are medicines that lower your “bad” cholesterol, helping protect your heart and blood vessels. They can help reduce the chance of heart attacks and strokes, especially important if your QRISK is above 10%. Statins are generally safe and work best alongside healthy lifestyle habits.

Cholesterol is a fatty substance in your blood. High levels can lead to narrowing of your arteries and increase your risk of heart attacks and strokes. Medications like statins and ezetimbe help lower cholesterol.

You can’t change your age or family history, but there are many things you can do:

• Stop smoking - this is one of the biggest ways to reduce risk.

• Be active – aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate activity (like brisk walking, swimming, cycling) each week.

• Eat a heart-healthy diet – plenty of fruit, vegetables, wholegrains, nuts, and oily fish. Try to cut back on processed food, salt, and sugar.

• Maintain a healthy weight – even small amounts of weight loss can make a difference.

• Limit alcohol – try to keep within 14 units a week.

• Manage blood pressure – regular checks, medication if prescribed.

• Lower cholesterol – lifestyle helps, and you may also benefit from cholesterol-lowering medicines like statins.

• Control diabetes – keeping blood sugar within target ranges reduces complications.

Do medicines help reduce risk?

Yes. For many people, medicines are recommended alongside lifestyle changes, such as:

• Statins (to lower cholesterol)

• Blood pressure tablets (if your blood pressure is high)

• Diabetes medicines (if you have diabetes and need them)

How quickly will my risk reduce?

• Stopping smoking reduces risk within weeks to months.

• Blood pressure and cholesterol medicines can lower risk within the first year.

• Healthy habits (diet, activity, weight) give benefits that build up over time.

Useful links

  NHS: Live well 

  British Heart Foundation: Reduce your risk

Primary prevention means preventing a disease before it happens (e.g., using medications or lifestyle changes to stop heart disease developing if you have risk factors).

Secondary prevention means preventing further problems or complications after a disease has already been diagnosed (e.g., after a heart attack or stroke).

HbA1c is a blood test that shows your average blood sugar level over the past 2–3 months. It measures how much sugar (glucose) has attached to your red blood cells.

Why is it important?

• It helps diagnose diabetes and pre-diabetes.

• If you already have diabetes, it shows how well your blood sugar is being controlled.

Typical ranges:

• Below 42 mmol/mol (6.0%) → Normal

• 42–47 mmol/mol (6.0–6.4%) → At risk (pre-diabetes)

• 48 mmol/mol (6.5%) or above → Diabetes

For people with diabetes:
We will normally agree a personal HbA1c target with you (often around 48–58 mmol/mol, but this can vary). Reaching your target lowers the risk of long-term complications such as heart disease, kidney problems, eye disease, and nerve damage.

Pre-diabetes means your blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not high enough for diabetes. It increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Lifestyle changes can help reduce this risk.

For information about pre-diabetes please vist Diabetes UK: Preventing T2 Diabetes 

If already diagnosed with pre-diabetes we recommend you complete a free course. You can self refer here Healthier You: Self Referral

Body mass index (BMI) is a way of checking whether your weight is healthy for your height. It is calculated by dividing your weight (in kilograms) by your height (in metres) squared.

Healthy ranges for most adults:

• Below 18.5 → Underweight

• 18.5 to 24.9 → Healthy weight

• 25 to 29.9 → Overweight

• 30 or above → Obese

BMI is a useful guide, but it doesn’t tell the full story. For example, very muscular people may have a high BMI but little body fat. Where you carry fat also matters - carrying more around your waist can increase health risks, even if your BMI is in the healthy range.

Waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) is a simple way of checking if you are carrying too much weight around your middle.

• Measure your waist (around your belly button, after gently breathing out).

• Measure your height.

• Divide your waist measurement by your height.

Healthy ranges:

• Less than 0.5 → Healthy

• 0.5 to 0.6 → Increased risk

• Above 0.6 → High risk

Carrying extra fat around your waist increases the risk of conditions like heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and some cancers.

SGLT2 inhibitors were originally developed to lower blood sugar, but research has shown they have benefits beyond diabetes control. Even if your sugars are already well managed, these medicines can help to:

• Protect your kidneys - slowing down the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD).

• Protect your heart - reducing the risk of heart failure, heart attack, and stroke.

• Lower your future risk - people with existing heart disease, CKD, or a high QRISK score may be advised to take an SGLT2i, regardless of their diabetes results. 

Sick day rules guide you on temporarily stopping certain medications when you are unwell (vomiting, diarrhoea, fever) to avoid dehydration or kidney problems. They help prevent serious complications.

 More information 

Monitoring at home helps detect changes early and ensures your treatment is working. Keeping blood pressure in target ranges reduces risks of complications. More guidance is available here 

If you are interested in stopping smoking, go to smokefreelifeberkshire, call 0118 449 2026, or text ‘QUIT’ to 66777​

Yes! Some popular apps include NHS Better Health, Couch to 5K, MyFitnessPal, and Oviva. These can support weight loss, improving diet, and increasing activity.