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New and emerging risk factors for coronary heart disease

Ehimare Akhabue1, Jeffrey Thiboutot, Jeh-Wei Cheng

  • 1Department of Internal Medicine (EA, JT), Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York; Department of Medicine (J-WC, SL), Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia; and St. Francis Hospital-The Heart Center (TJV), Division of Cardiology, Center of Advanced Cardiac Therapeutics, Roslyn, New York; Department of Internal Medicine (GC), Winthrop University Hospital, Mineola, New York; Cardiovascular Consultants of Long Island, PC (KMG), New Hyde Park, New York; and Zena and Michael A. Wiener Cardiovascular Institute (CEK), Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York.

The American Journal of the Medical Sciences
|May 7, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Coronary heart disease (CHD) risk assessment can be improved by considering emerging factors beyond traditional ones. This review covers new markers like coronary artery calcium score and C-reactive protein for better CHD screening.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Preventive Medicine
  • Biomarkers

Background:

  • Coronary heart disease (CHD) remains a leading cause of mortality in the US.
  • Traditional risk factors (hypertension, diabetes, smoking) do not fully explain all CHD events.
  • There is a need for improved risk stratification in CHD.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review emerging risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD).
  • To evaluate the utility of novel biomarkers in CHD screening.
  • To provide an evidence-based overview of new CHD risk assessment tools.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of current evidence on novel CHD risk factors.
  • Focus on specific markers: coronary artery calcium score, C-reactive protein, lipoprotein (a), carotid intima-media thickness, homocysteine, lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2, and HDL functionality.
  • Analysis of their role in screening and risk assessment.

Main Results:

  • Several new factors show promise in identifying individuals at risk for CHD.
  • Coronary artery calcium score and C-reactive protein are among the most studied emerging risk factors.
  • The clinical utility of some markers like homocysteine is debated, while others like lipoprotein (a) are gaining traction.

Conclusions:

  • Emerging risk factors offer valuable additions to traditional CHD risk assessment.
  • These novel markers can enhance the accuracy of screening for coronary events.
  • Further research and clinical validation are ongoing for optimal integration into practice.

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