New score is needed to predict risk of coronary heart disease

doi:10.1136/bmj.324.7347.1217

BMJ 2002;324:1217 ( 18 May )

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New score is needed to predict risk of coronary heart disease

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR $---$ McManus et al show the difficulties inherent in using currently available risk scoring systems for cardiovascular disease,with only moderate agreement between methods.¹ They also showthe methods' relatively low accuracy when compared with independentlycalculated Framingham riskestimates.

Much of the inaccuracy was due to a lack of risk factor information in case records and use of risk scoring in people withdiagnosed cardiovascular disease, who should be considered athigh risk and treated accordingly. As in previous comparison studies,the Framingham risk equations were used as the gold standard bywhich the performance of all the Framingham derived risk assessmenttools was evaluated.²

Important treatment decisions are being based on the findings of risk assessment tools. Surprisingly, little effort has beenput into assessing the accuracy of the Framingham risk score incontemporary European populations. Haq et al simply examined agreementbetween the Framingham risk score . . . [Full text of this article]

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Comparison of estimates and calculations of risk of coronary heart disease by doctors and nurses using different calculation tools in general practice: cross sectional study: R J McManus, J Mant, C F M Meulendijks, R A Salter, H M Pattison, A K Roalfe, and F D R Hobbs
BMJ 2002 324: 459-464. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]