You are here: Home / PROCAM Risk Scores / MI risk pyramid
Saturday, 04. February 2012

MI risk pyramid

The myocardial infarction risk pyramid

Based on the PROCAM Health Check, asymptomatic patients may be classified into three categories of risk:

  • Low risk: the risk of the patient suffering an MI within the next 10 years is less than 10%.
  • Intermediate risk: the risk of the patient suffering an MI within the next 10 years is between 10 and 20%.
  • High risk: the risk of the patient suffering an MI within the next 10 years is greater than 20%.


Figures 1 and 2 show the MI risk pyramid in men and women in PROCAM. The percentage of the total population in each risk category varies among geographical regions, depending on the overall level of coronary risk in each region. In PROCAM, for example, 8% of asymptomatic middle-aged men and 3% of asymptomatic middle-aged women fell into the high-risk category. On average, about one in three men and one in three women in this high-risk group suffered an MI within the 10 years following risk assessment.

(Click on images to enlarge)

FIGURE 1. Risk of a major coronary event in asymptomatic men (age 35–65 years).
FIGURE 2. Risk of a major coronary event in asymptomatic women (age 45–65 years).