Cardiovascular disease is among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Preventive treatment of high-risk asymptomatic individuals depends on accurate prediction of a person's risk to develop a cardiovascular event. Currently, cardiovascular risk prediction in asymptomatic individuals is based on the level of cardiovascular risk factors incorporated in scoring equations.
1 Several scores are available, with the Framingham Risk Score among the most widely used.
1,2 These risk equations perform reasonably well, yet there remains considerable overlap in estimated risk between those who are affected by a cardiovascular event and those who are not.
3 Improvement in cardiovascular risk prediction is needed and may be established by including a measure of preclinical atherosclerosis in the risk prediction algorithms
4 because atherosclerosis underlies the occurrence of cardiovascular events, develops over decades, and has a prolonged asymptomatic phase during which it is possible to modify the course of the disease.
5