About Your Heart Forecast

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) has an enormous impact on the lives and health of New Zealanders (and others worldwide).

In 2008, Dr Sue Wells and Dr Andrew Kerr came up with a novel approach to support CVD risk communication and behaviour change – ‘Your Heart Forecast’.

There is substantial epidemiological evidence that supports identifying people at high risk of CVD and treating them with lifestyle and drug-based interventions. If fully implemented, this approach could reduce future CVD events by over 50%. Estimating the risk of CVD event such as a heart attack or stroke in the next five years is relatively easy using clinical decision support aids (paper-based or electronic). The hard part for doctors and nurses is explaining to patients what the concept of CVD risk means and use this to support patients to change ‘risky’ lifestyles and behaviour.