Cardiovascular risk calculators: understanding differences and realising economic implications.

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Public Health
• Health Economics

Background:

• Global cardiovascular risk assessment is crucial for primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases.
• Risk stratification for individuals without prior cardiovascular history is complex, influencing intervention intensity.
• Guidelines for general practitioners on pharmaceutical prescriptions based on risk classes exist in several countries.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the variability of cardiovascular risk calculators.
• To assess the impact of different risk calculators on Statin prescription eligibility in Italy.
• To estimate the economic implications of using various risk assessment tools.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive review of online and literature-based cardiovascular risk calculators.
• A simulation study using diverse risk calculators for the same individual profiles.
• Economic impact analysis based on simulation results.

Main Results:

• A wide array of cardiovascular risk calculators were identified.
• Significant discrepancies in risk scores were observed when applying different calculators to the same individuals.
• The choice of calculator can influence Statin eligibility and associated healthcare costs.

Conclusions:

• The heterogeneity of cardiovascular risk calculators poses challenges for consistent primary prevention.
• Standardization or clear guidance on calculator selection is needed for accurate risk assessment.
• Variability in risk calculation has potential economic consequences for healthcare systems.