It is apparent to most physicians that patients at high risk for having a cardiovascular event should be screened, but what about those patients who fall into the intermediate risk category (classified using the Framingham risk score)? Dr. Prediman Shah, director of the division of cardiology at Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute in Los Angeles, suggests that screening asymptomatic, intermediate-risk patients for subclinical atherosclerosis using non-invasive imaging might be beneficial. Dr. Shah also discusses the limitations of relying solely on the Framingham risk score, and recommends additional ways to classify a patient's risk for developing a cardiovascular event. What specific screening tests are best for detecting subclinical atherosclerosis? Dr. Janet Wright hosts.
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