A cardiovascular risk prediction tool developed by Chicago based-Northwestern Medicine scientists may help identify which patients would most benefit from statins, according to a study published Aug. 20 in JAMA Cardiology.
The tool, called the PREVENT (Predicting Risk of cardiovascular disease Events) risk equations, was designed to provide more accurate risk estimates than the current pooled cohort equations, according to a Sept. 11 news release from the health system.
Lead author Sadiya Khan, MD, a cardiovascular epidemiology professor at Evanston, Ill.-based Northwestern University, said in the release the findings could improve shared decision-making between clinicians and patients.
In an analysis of data from more than 5,200 U.S. adults ages 40-75, investigators found that using PREVENT thresholds identified 11.8 million additional adults who would be eligible for statin therapy, with a 10-year absolute risk reduction of more than 2%.
“A risk estimate higher than 3% to 5% hits the ‘sweet spot’ to identify those patients who will have the greatest benefit from starting a lipid-lowering medication,” Dr. Khan said.
