How Do Cardiovascular Risk Estimates from the New PREVENT Calculator Compare with Older Estimates?

The American Heart Association (AHA) recently developed equations that have been incorporated into a new calculator for estimating cardiovascular disease risk. In a recent summary, NEJM Journal Watch outlined key differences between this new tool (“PREVENT”) and the widely used calculator that was issued by the AHA and American College of Cardiology (ACC) in 2013 (NEJM JW Gen Med Jul 15 2024 and Circulation 2024; 149:430).

Researchers compared these two tools in a representative sample of ≈8000 U.S. adults (age range, 30–79) without previous myocardial infarction or stroke. Mean predicted 10-year risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) was markedly lower with PREVENT than with the 2013 calculator (4.6% vs. 9.0%). Extrapolated…