Current possibilities for detecting high risk of cardiovascular disease

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Preventive Medicine
• Vascular Health

Background:

• Cardiovascular diseases, including coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, and peripheral arterial disease, pose significant health risks.
• Early and accurate detection of high-risk individuals is crucial for effective preventive strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current diagnostic possibilities for identifying individuals at high risk of CHD, stroke, and peripheral arterial disease.
• To explore multi-step diagnostic approaches integrating risk factor assessment and non-invasive testing.

Main Methods:

• Risk factor assessment to identify "CHD risk equivalents" or calculate multifactorial risk scores.
• Non-invasive detection of subclinical atherosclerosis using structural and functional arterial markers.
• Myocardial ischemia detection for enhanced diagnostic and prognostic information in high-risk subjects.

Main Results:

• A tiered diagnostic approach is proposed, starting with risk factor evaluation.
• Subclinical atherosclerosis detection serves as a secondary step for those not initially identified as high-risk.
• Myocardial ischemia assessment provides further valuable information for high-risk individuals.

Conclusions:

• Implementing a high-risk detection strategy can improve the cost-effectiveness of cardiovascular prevention.
• This approach is particularly beneficial for asymptomatic individuals.
• Standardization of these high-risk strategies is needed for widespread adoption.