Effective risk stratification in patients with moderate cardiovascular risk using albuminuria and atherosclerotic plaques in the carotid arteries

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate whether subclinical vascular damage improved traditional risk prediction, reclassifying individuals with regard to primary prevention. Methods: Two thousand and fifty-nine healthy individuals aged 41, 51, 61, and 71 years were divided into age, Systematic COronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE), and Framingham risk score (FRS) groups. Subclinical vascular damage was defined as carotid–femoral pulse wave velocity at least 12 m/s, and carotid atherosclerotic plaques or urine albumin/creatinine ratio (UACR) at least 90th percentile of 0.73/1.06 mg/mmol in men/women. The composite endpoint of cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, and hospitalization for ischemic heart disease was recorded (n = 229). Results: Both elevated UACR (P = 0.002) and atherosclerotic plaques (P 
Source: Journal of Hypertension - Category: Cardiology Tags: ORIGINAL PAPERS: Epidemiology Source Type: research