New tool to predict heart problems

Everyone wants to know if heart problems are in their future.

Now, there's a new tool some doctors are using to get a clearer picture of the risk.

They say it's especially helpful for women.

Doctors at the Cleveland Clinic say the traditional treadmill test underestimated the risk for some women, but overestimated it for others.

So they developed a method that uses treadmill scores, plus other important factors, such as whether a patient smokes and has diabetes or kidney disease.

It evaluates different factors for men and women.

"Depending on where you fall, how we manage your risk factors, how aggressively we treat your cholesterol or your blood pressure, may be very different," Dr. Leslie Cho said.

Doctor Cho believes this tool gives doctors more information and it's easier to use.