USPSTF Recommends Against Screening for CHD

The third U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has been releasing new and updated guidelines during the past 3 years (guidelines homepage; Journal Watch May 15 2001; and Journal Watch Mar 26 2004).

USPSTF 3 concludes each of its guidelines with a recommendation, graded as follows:

A -- The intervention is strongly recommended.

B -- The intervention is recommended.

C -- The USPSTF makes no recommendation for or against the intervention.

D -- The intervention is not routinely recommended.

I -- Evidence is insufficient to recommend for or against the intervention.

The USPSTF has updated its systematic review of the literature on screening for coronary heart disease (CHD). Given the lack of evidence that testing can detect cases of CHD in adul…