New heart disease calculator could save lives by identifying high-risk patients missed by current tools

Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death globally. 'For instance, conditions like postnatal depression and Down’s syndrome significantly contribute to cardiovascular risk, underscoring the complex interplay between mental health, genetic factors, and heart health. It outperformed the most widely used heart disease risk calculators, including QRISK3 recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in the UK, accurately identifying more high-risk patients. This new algorithm builds on almost two decades of work and global leadership in the field of risk algorithms, and cardiovascular risk algorithms in particular. The study 'Development and validation of a new algorithm for improved cardiovascular risk prediction' is published in Nature Medicine.