The SCORE scale is a concept that can be encountered when visiting a cardiologist or performing tests ordered by him. What is the SCORE scale, who should use it and how, in which cases is it most often used? Who is recommended to measure the SCORE scale regularly and how to interpret the results obtained during such a measurement?

The SCOREscale (score is an abbreviation of Systematic COronary Risk Evaluation) allows you to estimate the so-called cardiovascular risk, i.e. the risk of death due to cardiovascular diseases (e.g. coronary heart disease or atherosclerosis) or a cardiovascular incident.

These diseases, as evidenced by numerous statistics, are one of the most common causes of death, also in Poland. Thecalculation of the SCOREscale helps to implement prophylaxis at the right moment or assign the patient to one of several cardiovascular risk groups, which is important due to the further method of therapy.

What is the SCORE scale?

The SCOREscale was developed by experts from the European Society of Cardiology on the basis of population studies conducted for the European population in several European countries. Data from over 3 million observations and nearly 8,000 observations were used to create it. the so-called cardiovascular events which have resulted in the patient's death.

The SCOREscale allows you to assess the individual risk of death (in the next 10 years) from cardiovascular disease or a cardiovascular event (e.g. heart attack or rupture of aortic aneurysm) in those people who have not yet been diagnosed with cardiovascular disease. It is intended for use in the so-called primary prevention, i.e. in people without clinical symptoms of such diseases.

SCORE scale: risk factors

To assess cardiovascular risk using the SCORE scale, several factors must be taken into account. These are: gender, age, smoking status, systolic blood pressure, and total cholesterol. On the basis of these values, the SCORE scale determines the percentage, individual risk of death from cardiovascular causes for a given person in the next 10 years.

How to use the SCORE scale tables?

The SCORE scale is in the form of a split tableinto squares. First, find a square that describes age, gender and smoking. Then find the point where the individual test results intersect - the values ​​of systolic blood pressure and total cholesterol.

Then read the result. The number in the box with the result is your individual cardiovascular risk, which is expressed as a percentage - e.g. a value of 4 means that your risk of dying from a cardiovascular disease over the next ten years is 4 percent.

SCORE scale - how to interpret the results?

The measurement result on the SCORE scale is presented as a percentage. How to interpret it? The result is assumed to be:

  • below 1% - low risk
  • from 1 to 4% - moderate risk
  • 5 to 9% - high risk
  • 10% and more - very high risk.

Skala Pol-SCORE - what is it?

The equivalent of the SCORE scale for people from the Polish population is the Pol-SCORE scale, which allows for calculations to use the values ​​of mortality rates due to cardiovascular diseases and the main risk factors for the Polish population.

With its help, you can assess the risk in people who have not had a heart attack, stroke or other cardiovascular event so far. However, it should not be used in people who have had a heart attack or stroke, have had transient ischemia of the brain, have diabetes or have chronic kidney disease.

SCORE scale: who is recommended to take regular measurements?

Systematic assessment of cardiovascular risk, including are men over 40 years of age and women over 50 years of age, as well as people with the main factors in the development of cardiovascular diseases, such as smoking, high cholesterol, high blood pressure. They should also be performed by people with familial premature atherosclerosis and familial hypercholesterolaemia.

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