When Should CV Risk Be Remeasured in People at Low or Intermediate Risk?

The Framingham risk assessment tool employs age, sex, cholesterol levels, smoking status, and blood pressure to estimate 10-year risk for an adverse cardiovascular (CV) event. According to NIH guidelines, the threshold LDL cholesterol level at which to start lipid-lowering drug therapy depends on one's 10-year risk; nearly all people at high risk (i.e., those with 10-year risk >20%) are candidates for drug therapy. To determine the probability of progressing to high risk for CV disease among people at low and intermediate risk, investigators analyzed data from a total of 18,000 participants in two separate cohorts (Tokyo and Framingham). At baseline, all participants (age range, 30–74) had CV risk <20%, and none were using agents to lower b…