Some of the frequently asked questions
CardioAI is a machine learning–powered platform that predicts your risk of developing cardiovascular disease. By entering demographic and health data, you receive a personalized risk assessment generated through trained ML algorithms on real patient datasets.
BMI is a measure of body fat based on your weight and height. It's calculated as weight (kg) ÷ height (m)². Normal range is 18.5–24.9. A high BMI (25+) is associated with increased cardiovascular risk.
Divide your weight in kilograms by your height in meters squared. For example, 70kg ÷ (1.70m × 1.70m) = 24.2 BMI. Our app calculates this automatically once you enter height and weight.
The model was trained on the Shanxi Cardiovascular dataset and the Cardio Train dataset, containing records from thousands of patients. Features include age, gender, height, weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose, smoking, alcohol, and activity levels.
No. CardioAI is an educational and informational tool only. The predictions are generated by machine learning models and should not replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for diagnosis and treatment.
Blood pressure measures the force of blood against artery walls. It's written as two numbers: systolic (ap_hi) over diastolic (ap_lo). Normal is around 120/80 mmHg. High BP (hypertension) is a major cardiovascular risk factor.
Cholesterol is a fatty substance in your blood. High LDL ("bad") cholesterol causes artery blockage. Get a lipid panel blood test to find your number. In our model, the scale maps to:
1 — Normal: Total cholesterol <200 mg/dL · 2 — Above Normal: 200–239 mg/dL (borderline high) · 3 — High: 240+ mg/dL
If you don't have a recent result, select 1 — Normal and schedule a blood test.
Fasting glucose measures blood sugar after not eating for 8 hours. Elevated glucose indicates pre-diabetes or diabetes — both increase heart risk. Get this done at a clinic or with a glucometer. In our model, the scale maps to:
1 — Normal: <100 mg/dL · 2 — Pre-diabetic: 100–125 mg/dL · 3 — Diabetic range: 126+ mg/dL
If you haven't tested recently, select 1 — Normal and consult your doctor for a fasting glucose test.
The trained model achieves approximately 72–74% accuracy on test datasets. While this is statistically significant, real-world medical predictions are complex and depend on many more factors. Use this as a rough indicator, not a definitive assessment.
The app uses a trained scikit-learn classifier (such as Logistic Regression, Random Forest, or Gradient Boosting) on the cardiovascular dataset. The model takes the 11 input features and returns a binary prediction: 1 = high risk, 0 = low risk.
Understanding high blood pressure risk and our new prediction feature
Hypertension (high blood pressure) is a condition where the force of blood against your artery walls is consistently too high — typically defined as a systolic pressure ≥130 mmHg or diastolic ≥80 mmHg (AHA guidelines). It's called the "silent killer" because it usually has no symptoms but significantly raises the risk of heart disease, stroke, and kidney damage.
Beyond the standard cardiovascular fields, our hypertension assessment asks for three additional inputs:
Family History: Whether parents or siblings have hypertension — this roughly doubles your genetic risk.
Stress Level (1–9): Chronic stress keeps cortisol elevated, raising blood pressure over time.
Salt Intake: Sodium causes water retention which increases blood volume and pressure. WHO recommends <5 g/day.
The hypertension model uses the Hypertension Risk Prediction Dataset from Kaggle (ankushpanday1), containing approximately 175,000 records from patients across 175 countries. It includes 23 features such as BMI, blood pressure, cholesterol, stress level, salt intake, family history, glucose, alcohol, smoking, and physical activity. Target variable: Hypertension (High / Low).
On a scale of 1–9, rate how stressed you feel on an average day. Think about work pressure, sleep quality, anxiety, and daily worries. As a guide: 1–3 = generally calm, minimal daily stress; 4–6 = moderate stress, occasional difficult days; 7–9 = frequently overwhelmed, poor sleep, constant pressure. Be honest — chronic mild stress often goes underestimated.
Salt intake is hard to measure precisely, but here's a practical guide:
Low (<5 g/day): Mostly home-cooked meals, rarely add salt, minimal processed food.
Moderate (5–10 g/day): Mix of home-cooked and processed/restaurant food, occasional salt added.
High (10–15 g/day): Frequent restaurant meals, regular processed food (chips, instant noodles, pickles), regularly salt food at the table.
Not exactly, but they're deeply linked. Hypertension (high blood pressure) is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease — it damages artery walls over time, leading to atherosclerosis, heart attack, and stroke. Our app now predicts both independently, which together give you a more complete picture of your heart health. Many people with cardiovascular disease also have hypertension, and vice versa.