Cardiovascular disease screening

Cardiovascular disease screening

Cardiovascular disease screening

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CVD Risk Assessment - Gauging the Threat

  • Primary Tool: 10-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk, estimated via Pooled Cohort Equations (PCE).
  • Screening Age: All adults aged 40-75 years.
  • Core Inputs: Age, sex, race, total & HDL cholesterol, systolic BP, HTN treatment, diabetes, smoking.

ASCVD Risk Reduction by Therapy Calculator

⭐ For borderline or intermediate-risk patients, the presence of "risk-enhancing factors" (e.g., family history, CKD, inflammatory disease) can justify starting statin therapy.

Lipid Screening - Cholesterol Check

  • Initiation (Fasting Lipid Profile):
    • Men: Start at age 35.
    • Women: Start at age 45.
    • With ↑ ASCVD risk factors (diabetes, HTN, smoking, family hx): Start at age 20.
  • Frequency:
    • Repeat every 5 years for average-risk individuals.
    • More frequently if lipid levels are near a treatment threshold.
  • Pediatrics: Universal screening once between ages 9-11 and again at 17-21.

⭐ Suspect familial hypercholesterolemia and consider aggressive treatment for any patient with an LDL-C >190 mg/dL.

Hypertension Screening - The BP Beat

24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring graph

  • Who: All adults ≥ 18 years (USPSTF Grade A).
  • How Often:
    • Annually for increased risk: BP 130-139/85-89 mmHg (high-normal), overweight/obese, or Black adults.
    • Every 3-5 years for adults with normal BP (<130/85 mmHg) and no other risk factors.
  • Confirmation: Initial elevated office readings require confirmation with out-of-office measurements.
    • Gold Standard: 24-hr ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM).
    • Alternative: Self-measured home BP monitoring (HBPM).

White coat hypertension: elevated office BP but normal home/ambulatory readings. Masked hypertension: normal office BP but elevated home/ambulatory readings, carrying a higher cardiovascular risk.

AAA Screening - Sizing Up the Aorta

  • Who: Men aged 65-75 who have ever smoked (a "smoking history").
  • How: One-time screening with abdominal duplex ultrasound.
  • Management by Size:
    • 3.0-3.9 cm: Rescan every 3 years.
    • 4.0-5.4 cm: Rescan every 6-12 months.
    • ≥5.5 cm: Refer for surgical evaluation; intervention is generally recommended.

⭐ The biggest risk factor for AAA is smoking, followed by male sex and advanced age.

Correct vs. incorrect AAA measurement

Aspirin Prophylaxis - A Daily Dose?

  • Primary prevention of ASCVD in select adults. The decision to initiate is individualized.
  • USPSTF Guidelines:
    • Age 40-59 with ASCVD risk ≥10%: Individual decision. Net benefit is small.
    • Age ≥60: Do NOT initiate for primary prevention due to ↑ bleeding risk.
  • Dose: Low-dose aspirin (81 mg daily).

⭐ The major adverse effect of aspirin therapy is an increased risk for gastrointestinal (GI) and intracranial hemorrhage, which rises with age.

High-Yield Points - ⚡ Biggest Takeaways

  • The USPSTF recommends blood pressure screening for all adults ≥18 years.
  • Screen for hyperlipidemia in adults aged 40-75 years; consider earlier screening for patients with significant risk factors.
  • Low-dose aspirin for primary prevention is an individualized decision, particularly for adults 40-59 years with a ≥10% 10-year CVD risk.
  • Screen for diabetes mellitus in adults aged 35-70 years who are overweight or obese.
  • A one-time ultrasound for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) is recommended for men aged 65-75 who have ever smoked.

Practice Questions: Cardiovascular disease screening

Test your understanding with these related questions

A 72-year-old woman comes to the physician for follow-up care. One year ago, she was diagnosed with a 3.8-cm infrarenal aortic aneurysm found incidentally on abdominal ultrasound. She has no complaints. She has hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and COPD. Current medications include hydrochlorothiazide, lisinopril, glyburide, and an albuterol inhaler. She has smoked a pack of cigarettes daily for 45 years. Her temperature is 37°C (98.6°F), pulse is 90/min, respirations are 12/min, and blood pressure is 145/85 mm Hg. Examination shows a faint abdominal bruit on auscultation. Ultrasonography of the abdomen shows a 4.9-cm saccular dilation of the infrarenal aorta. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in management?

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Flashcards: Cardiovascular disease screening

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One use of Mammography as a screening tool is to detect invasive carcinoma before it becomes _____

TAP TO REVEAL ANSWER

One use of Mammography as a screening tool is to detect invasive carcinoma before it becomes _____

clinically palpable

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