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Screening for early detection of cardiovascular disease in asymptomatic individuals
Jay N Cohn1, Lynn Hoke, Wayne Whitwam
1Rasmussen Center for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention, Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minn, USA. cohnx001@umn.edu
Insights
Cardiovascular disease screening effectively identifies early abnormalities in asymptomatic individuals. This allows for timely intervention to prevent disease progression and reduce cardiovascular events.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Preventive Medicine
- Diagnostic Testing
Background:
- Primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) traditionally focuses on risk factors, often overlooking early subclinical disease.
- Current strategies lack methods to detect and document early CVD, limiting timely therapeutic intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To implement a comprehensive screening program utilizing vascular and cardiac tests.
- To identify early cardiovascular abnormalities and assess risk factors amenable to treatment in asymptomatic individuals.
Main Methods:
- Established a dedicated screening center for asymptomatic individuals.
- Employed 10 vascular and cardiac tests alongside blood work for comprehensive assessment.
- Analyzed data from the initial 396 individuals screened.
Main Results:
- Nearly half (49%) of the screened population had scores of >=5, indicating early disease.
- A significant portion (39%) scored >=6, suggesting more advanced early disease.
- Recommended medical therapy adjustments for individuals based on screening results.
Conclusions:
- Screening tests effectively detect unsuspected early cardiovascular disease.
- Early detection enables targeted treatment to potentially reduce cardiovascular event incidence.
- Further longitudinal studies are needed to establish test sensitivity and specificity.
Objective:
Primary prevention of cardiovascular disease has been aimed at risk factor identification and treatment without efforts to document early cardiovascular disease. The objective of the current study is to screen individuals with vascular and cardiac tests aimed at identifying early abnormalities likely to progress and to measure risk contributors susceptible to therapy.
Methods:
A center was established for comprehensive screening of an asymptomatic population with 10 tests designed to detect early vascular and cardiac abnormalities and blood tests to identify potential targets for risk contributor intervention. The first 396 individuals screened in the center have been analyzed.
Results:
Using a scoring system from 0 (no disease) to 20 (advanced disease), 49% of the population exhibited scores of > or =5 and 39% exhibited scores of > or =6. These scores appear indicative of early disease mandating initiation of or change in medical therapy, which was recommended to the individuals screened and to their primary care physicians.
Conclusion:
The screening tests utilized are effective in uncovering unsuspected early cardiovascular disease in which targeted treatment could be effective in reducing the incidence of cardiovascular events in susceptible individuals. Documentation of the sensitivity and specificity of this approach requires longitudinal study.
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