According to current AHA/ACC guidelines, a CAC score can be used as a risk-decision aid to reclassify patients whose 10-year risk for ASCVD is intermediate (7.5%-19.9%) or borderline (5.0%-7.5%) and to help guide decision making around statin use. Statin therapy should be initiated in patients with a CAC score ≥ 100; however, patients with a CAC score between 1 and 99 are considered likely to benefit from statin therapy, especially if they are older than 55 years. When CAC is absent (score of 0) in intermediate- and borderline-risk individuals, statin therapy may be deferred for 3-5 years, given the low likelihood of events in this population.
Learn more about cardiac tests.
This Fast Five Quiz was excerpted and adapted from the Medscape articles 'Conservative' USPSTF Primary Prevention Statin Guidance Finalized, Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Clinical Practice Guidelines (ESC, 2021), Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease Clinical Practice Guidelines (ACC/AHA, 2019), Heart Benefits Begin at Well Under 10,000 Daily Steps, AHA Names Top CVD Advances for 2022, Aspirin, and Who Should, and Who Shouldn't, Take Aspirin for Primary CVD Prevention.
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Cite this: Yasmine S. Ali. Fast Five Quiz: Cardiovascular Disease Primary Prevention - Medscape - Mar 06, 2023.
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