The American Heart Association (AHA) announced that its Predicting Risk of cardiovascular disease EVENTs (PREVENT) equations are now integrated into Epic's electronic health record (EHR) platform, a move that brings modern cardiovascular risk assessment to the majority of EHR systems nationwide. The integration, revealed on September 10, 2026, represents a significant step in embedding guideline-recommended risk assessment into routine patient care, where clinicians can discuss primary prevention of heart attack, stroke, and heart failure with patients.
By advancing access to the most contemporary, validated risk estimation tool within a major clinical platform, the AHA reinforces its leadership in translating cardiovascular science from publication to practical implementation. "The promise of PREVENT lies in its ability to be implemented and acted on at scale," said Sadiya S. Khan, M.D., M.Sc., an AHA volunteer and preventive cardiologist at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago who led the development of the PREVENT equations. "Expanding access to the PREVENT equations through the Epic platform provides clinicians with access to risk estimates that can support shared decision-making with patients. This is a critical next step in informing conversations and care for personalized prevention in patients."
Developed by the AHA, the PREVENT equations are a clinical tool designed to estimate a person's risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Unlike previous risk tools, they incorporate measures of cardiovascular, kidney, and metabolic health and provide estimates for total cardiovascular disease, including heart attack, stroke, and heart failure. The equations were developed using health information from more than 6.5 million adults from diverse racial, ethnic, geographic, and socioeconomic backgrounds. They also represent a more contemporary approach, assessing risk over both 10- and 30-year time horizons.
Recent AHA and American College of Cardiology guidelines for managing high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol, and cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome recommend use of the PREVENT equations for cardiovascular risk assessment and personalized treatment decisions, reflecting growing adoption across prevention efforts. Embedding the equations directly into Epic's workflow streamlines care delivery and provides opportunity for timely decision support at the point of care. Similar integrations with EHR systems have demonstrated potential to improve efficiency and expand access to contemporary cardiovascular risk assessment.
"Risk estimation is the starting point for prevention," said Khan, who is also Magerstadt professor of cardiovascular epidemiology and associate professor of medicine and preventive medicine at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. "When clinicians have seamless access to accurate, up-to-date risk assessment tools, they can identify risk earlier and identify patients sooner who may benefit from lifestyle interventions, additional testing, or preventive therapies before cardiovascular disease develops."
The PREVENT equations are intended for use in adults aged 30-79 years without a history of cardiovascular disease and can help clinicians and patients engage in shared decision-making about approaches to reduce risk. Risk estimates are intended to serve as a guide and starting point for clinician-patient conversations regarding prevention strategies.
The integration is part of the AHA's broader effort to accelerate implementation of evidence-based CKM health strategies and extend access to guideline-recommended prevention tools through health technology relationships. It also reflects the Association's role as a trusted source of cardiovascular science and a convening leader working with clinical, technology, and health system partners to help ensure validated tools can be used consistently and efficiently in routine care. For more information about the PREVENT equations, visit the American Heart Association's professional education website.
The implications for healthcare leaders are substantial: this integration could lead to earlier identification of at-risk patients, more personalized prevention plans, and ultimately a reduction in cardiovascular disease burden. As value-based care models emphasize prevention, tools like PREVENT embedded in EHRs may become essential for population health management. Technology leaders should note the growing trend of integrating validated clinical algorithms into EHR workflows, which can enhance decision support and streamline care delivery.
