The USPSTF Recommendation Statement on Coronary Heart Disease Risk Assessment
Authors: Matthew J. Budoff
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2010)

Letters16 March 2010The USPSTF Recommendation Statement on Coronary Heart Disease Risk AssessmentMatthew J. Budoff, MDMatthew J. Budoff, MDFrom Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA 90502.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-152-6-201003160-00016 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR:The USPSTF (1) updated its statement on nontraditional risk factors and cardiovascular risk assessment. It is not surprising that their opinion of the clinical utility of coronary artery calcium (CAC) scanning is the same as in 2004, because they did not consider any of the new and available evidence on the topic. Their “comprehensive review of the literature” failed to uncover 19 published reports on CAC outcomes, contributing 103 124 additional patients and 2883 events. It is disturbing that the USPSTF makes recommendations on the utility of CAC testing for risk stratification but only identified 8 studies. Most ...References1. U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Using nontraditional risk factors in coronary heart disease risk assessment: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement. Ann Intern Med. 2009;151:474-82. [PMID: 19805770] LinkGoogle Scholar2. Folsom AR, Kronmal RA, Detrano RC, O'Leary DH, Bild DE, Bluemke DA, et al. Coronary artery calcification compared with carotid intima-media thickness in the prediction of cardiovascular disease incidence: the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). Arch Intern Med. 2008;168:1333-9. [PMID: 18574091] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Detrano R, Guerci AD, Carr JJ, Bild DE, Burke G, Folsom AR, et al. Coronary calcium as a predictor of coronary events in four racial or ethnic groups. N Engl J Med. 2008;358:1336-45. [PMID: 18367736] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Arad Y, Spadaro LA, Roth M, Newstein D, Guerci AD. Treatment of asymptomatic adults with elevated coronary calcium scores with atorvastatin, vitamin C, and vitamin E: the St. Francis Heart Study randomized clinical trial. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2005;46:166-72. [PMID: 15992652] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. Erbel R, Möhlenkamp S, Moebus S, Schmermund A, Lehmann N, Dragano N, et al; on behalf of the Heinz Nixdorf Recall Investigators. Signs of subclinical coronary atherosclerosis measured as coronary artery calcification improve risk prediction of hard events beyond traditional risk factors in an unselected general population—the Heinz Nixdorf recall study five-year outcome data. ACC Annual Scientific Session. 2009. Google Scholar6. van der Meer IM, Bots ML, Hofman A, del Sol AI, van der Kuip DA, Witteman JC. Predictive value of noninvasive measures of atherosclerosis for incident myocardial infarction: the Rotterdam Study. Circulation. 2004;109:1089-94. [PMID: 14993130] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: From Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA 90502.Disclosures:Honoraria: General Electric. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoUsing Nontraditional Risk Factors in Coronary Heart Disease Risk Assessment: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation StatementThe USPSTF Recommendation Statement on Coronary Heart Disease Risk Assessment Michael J. Blaha , Catherine Y. Campbell , and Aaron Horne The USPSTF Recommendation Statement on Coronary Heart Disease Risk Assessment Eric L. Matteson , Cynthia S. Crowson , and Sherine E. Gabriel The USPSTF Recommendation Statement on Coronary Heart Disease Risk Assessment Ned Calonge and Diana Pettiti The USPSTF Recommendation Statement on Coronary Heart Disease Risk Assessment Robert J. Glynn Metrics 16 March 2010Volume 152, Issue 6Page: 403-404KeywordsC-reactive proteinsEpidemiologyHeartLongitudinal studiesLungsMedical risk factorsProspective studiesRisk management ePublished: 16 March 2010 Issue Published: 16 March 2010 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2010 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...