Nontraditional CHD Risk Markers: How Much Value Do They Add?

Not much overall, according to data from the ARIC study

Traditional coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factors do not identify a substantial proportion of people who develop CHD, prompting interest in nontraditional markers for enhancing risk prediction. These researchers assessed the predictive value of 19 nontraditional markers, including C-reactive protein (CRP), among 15,792 participants (age 45–74) in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study.

Many of the nontraditional markers, including CRP, showed independent associations with risk for incident CHD. According to a statistical parameter known as the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), in which 1.0 reflects perfect diagnostic value and 0.5 reflects no diagnostic value, the AUC of traditional risk-factor a…

Reviewing Author

Frederick A. Masoudi, MD, MSPH