Patent ID: 8715194

Claim:
A method of assessing cardiovascular ailments in a human subject from a population of subjects seeking assessment of their cardiovascular health, and treating the subject to reverse or slow progression of the ailments, comprising: a) assessing early markers for arterial and left ventricular disease by performing a first set of tests on the subject, the first set of tests consisting of: 1) measuring arterial elasticity using pulse contour analysis to provide separate assessment of the elasticity of the large conduit arteries and the small arteries that serve as sites of reflected waves in the circulation; 2) measuring blood pressure at rest and during exercise; 3) imaging the optic fundus of the subject and analyzing the image or images for the A:V ratio and the presence of A:V crossing changes; 4) analyzing a urine sample from the subject for the albumin excretion creatinine; 5) determining the wall thickness of at least one large artery; b) assessing early cardiac disease wherein a second set of tests are performed on at least some of the subjects from the population, the second set of tests consisting of: 1) an electrocardiogram; 2) a cardiac ultrasound to screen the left ventricle for transverse diameter and wall thickness; 3) a test to determine plasma brain natriuretic peptide concentration levels as a marker for left ventricular dysfunction; and 4) a pulmonary function test using forced expiratory volume measurements; c) individually scoring the early markers and cardiac disease assessments using a three point scoring system indicating normal, borderline, and abnormal results and using the individual scores to produce at least one overall score wherein the resultant overall score provides a risk assessment on a scale wherein one end of the scale indicates no treatment is needed and the other end represents the greatest evidence of disease in need of treatment and wherein a low score of the three point scoring system is classified as normal, an intermediate score of the three point scoring system is classified as borderline, and a high score of the three point scoring system is classified as abnormal; and d) intervening in the progression of cardiovascular illness in the subject by providing one or more treatments for the subject in order to reverse or slow the progression of actual or suspected cardiovascular ailments identified in the assessment.