Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk Scores are Associated with Carotid Intima-Media Thickness.

This was a retrospective record review of existing data, not a designed prospective study. Only records with all calculator variables in range were analysed, and many were excluded for missing or out-of-range data. The analysed sample was 86 records, and most participants were non-Hispanic White. Records came from cardiovascular prevention clinics, and the authors suggest participants may be more health conscious than the general population. The database included only one office visit, and treatment can lower blood pressure and cholesterol inputs, reducing the association between risk scores and coronary artery disease history. Individuals with a history of MI were excluded, but some participants still had other forms of coronary artery disease history. People with autoimmune or chronic infectious diseases were excluded, so results may not apply to them. Carotid intima-media thickness is not widely available and requires specific software and a trained sonographer.

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest.

Do not conclude that a low ASCVD risk score rules out subclinical coronary disease. The score did not differ by coronary artery disease history, and three low scores missed high carotid artery thickness findings.