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The art of cardiovascular risk assessment
Jay Khambhati1, Marc Allard-Ratick1, Devinder Dhindsa1
1Emory Clinical Cardiovascular Research Institute, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia.
Insights
Preventing cardiovascular disease (CVD) is crucial. Enhanced risk assessment using traditional and nontraditional factors can improve early detection and targeted prevention strategies, reducing overall CVD burden.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Preventive Medicine
- Public Health
Background:
- Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the US.
- Healthcare spending disproportionately focuses on CVD treatment over prevention.
- Primordial and primary prevention are key to reducing the CVD burden.
Purpose of the Study:
- To improve cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk assessment.
- To identify at-risk individuals more effectively for targeted interventions.
- To promote cardiovascular health through enhanced prevention strategies.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing population-based scoring algorithms for traditional risk factors.
- Incorporating nontraditional risk factors, biomarkers, and noninvasive measures.
- Combining validated risk-assessment tools with social determinants and novel markers.
Main Results:
- Improved identification of both high-risk and low-risk individuals.
- Potential for more precise targeting of preventive treatment intensity.
- Enhanced ability to assess and reduce overall CVD risk.
Conclusions:
- A comprehensive approach integrating various risk factors is essential for effective CVD risk assessment.
- Evidence-based strategies, informed by clinical judgment and patient-clinician discussion, can reduce CVD risk.
- Shifting focus towards prevention is vital for public health and healthcare economics.
Abstract:
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death in the United States. Healthcare expenditures have been principally allocated toward treatment of CVD at the end of the health/disease continuum, rather than toward health promotion and disease prevention. A focused effort on both primordial and primary prevention can promote cardiovascular health and reduce the burden of CVD. Risk-factor assessment for predicting atherosclerotic CVD events serves as the foundation of preventive cardiology and has been driven by population-based scoring algorithms based on traditional risk factors. Incorporating individual nontraditional risk factors, biomarkers, and selective use of noninvasive measures may help identify more at-risk patients as well as truly low-risk individuals, allowing for better targeting of treatment intensity. Using a combination of validated population-based atherosclerotic CVD risk-assessment tools, nontraditional risk factors, social health determinants, and novel markers of atherosclerotic disease, we should be able to improve our ability to assess CVD risk. Through scientific evidence, clinical judgment, and discussion between the patient and clinician, we can implement an effective evidence-based strategy to assess and reduce CVD risk.
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