Background—The objective of this study was to examine the association of Joint National Committee (JNC-V) blood pressure and National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) cholesterol categories with coronary heart disease (CHD) risk, to incorporate them into coronary prediction algorithms, and to compare the discrimination properties of this approach with other noncategorical prediction functions. Methods and Results—This work was designed as a prospective, single-center study in the setting of a community-based cohort. The patients were 2489 men and 2856 women 30 to 74 years old at baseline with 12 years of follow-up. During the 12 years of follow-up, a total of 383 men and 227 women developed CHD, which was significantly associated with categories of blood pressure, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and HDL cholesterol (all P,.001). Sex-specific prediction equations were formulated to predict CHD risk according to age, diabetes, smoking, JNC-V blood pressure categories, and NCEP total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol categories. The accuracy of this categorical approach was found to be comparable to CHD prediction when the continuous variables themselves were used. After adjustment for other factors, ’28% of CHD events in men and 29% in women were attributable to blood pressure levels that exceeded high normal ($130/85). The corresponding multivariable-adjusted attributable risk percent associated with elevated total cholesterol ($200 mg/dL) was 27% in men and 34% in women. Conclusions—Recommended guidelines of blood pressure, total cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol effectively predict CHD risk in a middle-aged white population sample. A simple coronary disease prediction algorithm was developed using categorical variables, which allows physicians to predict multivariate CHD risk in patients without overt CHD. (Circulation. 1998;97:1837-1847.)

/pdf/prediction-of-coronary-heart-disease-using-risk-factor-2poljzi903.pdf

Prediction of Coronary Heart Disease Using Risk Factor Categories

Preamble and Transition to ACC/AHA Guidelines to Reduce Cardiovascular Risk S2

The goals of the …

/pdf/2013-acc-aha-guideline-on-the-treatment-of-blood-cholesterol-pvngcav7fq.pdf

2013 ACC/AHA Guideline on the Treatment of Blood Cholesterol to Reduce Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Risk in Adults A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines

https://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140-6736(07)60527-3.pdf

Effects of eicosapentaenoic acid on major coronary events in hypercholesterolaemic patients (JELIS): a randomised open-label, blinded endpoint analysis

The effects of lowering LDL cholesterol with statin therapy in people at low risk of vascular disease: Meta-analysis of individual data from 27 randomised trials

Endothelial dysfunction is a systemic disorder and a key variable in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and its complications. Current evidence suggests that endothelial status is not determined solely by the individual risk factor burden but rather, may be regarded as an integrated index of all atherogenic and atheroprotective factors present in an individual, including known as well as yet-unknown variables and genetic predisposition. Endothelial dysfunction reflects a vascular phenotype prone to atherogenesis and may therefore serve as a marker of the inherent atherosclerotic risk in an individual. In line with this hypothesis, dysfunction of either the coronary or peripheral vascular endothelium was shown to constitute an independent predictor of cardiovascular events, providing valuable prognostic information additional to that derived from conventional risk factor assessment. Interventions like risk factor modification and treatment with various drugs, including statins and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, may improve endothelial function and thereby, potentially prognosis. Hence, given its reversibility and granted the availability of a diagnostic tool to identify patients at risk and to control the efficacy of therapy in clinical practice, endothelial dysfunction may be an attractive primary target in the effort to optimize individualized therapeutic strategies to reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.

Endothelial Dysfunction A Marker of Atherosclerotic Risk

West of Scotland Coronary Prevention Study: Identification of high-risk groups and comparison with other cardiovascular intervention trials

AIMS\nTo assess the additional benefit gained from high compliance in the West of Scotland Coronary Prevention Study and to examine cases where withdrawal from trial medication was due to an adverse event.\n\n\nMETHODS\nThe incidence of definite coronary heart disease or non-fatal myocardial infarction, cardiovascular mortality, definite or suspect coronary heart disease death or non-fatal myocardial infarction, the need for coronary revascularization procedures, all-cause mortality and incident cancers were measured in the entire cohort and compared with the high compliance group. The adverse events associated with withdrawal were coded by body system.\n\n\nRESULTS\nIn subjects with compliance > or = 75%, treatment with pravastatin resulted in a 38% risk reduction for definite coronary heart disease death or non-fatal myocardial infarction and for cardiovascular mortality, a 46% reduction in risk or coronary revascularization and a 32% risk reduction (P = 0.015) for all-cause mortality.\n\n\nCONCLUSIONS\nThe analysis of the effect of pravastatin in the subgroup of high compliers to randomized medication demonstrated a substantial increase in the estimated risk reductions in comparison with that achieved in the intention-to-treat analysis. This result has significant implications for the motivation of high compliance among patients and for the assessment of the cost-effectiveness of treatment.

M Mellies

Papers

West of Scotland Coronary Prevention Study: Identification of high-risk groups and comparison with other cardiovascular intervention trials

Compliance and adverse event withdrawal: their impact on the west of Scotland Coronary Prevention Study