CAC Improves Cardiovascular Risk Classification Among Intermediate-Risk Patients

Primary prevention of cardiovascular disease relies heavily on classifying patients into high-, intermediate-, or low-risk groups, based on evaluations such as the Framingham Risk Score (FRS). Unfortunately, risk scores are imperfect, and direct comparisons of newer risk markers have not been done in U.S. population-based cohorts. Using data from MESA (Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis; a prospective study of asymptomatic adults without known cardiovascular disease), researchers directly compared prediction of incident coronary heart disease (CHD) with multiple risk markers among 1330 intermediate-risk patients (10-year CHD risk, 5%–20% by FRS). All patients underwent assessment of carotid intima–media thickness (CIMT), ankle-brachial i…