Alternative risk factors and their importance in assessment of cardiovascular risk in asymptomatic patients
Cardiovascular diseases retain their leading position among the leading causes of death worldwide. The contribution of many factors to increasing risk of developing cardiovascular diseases was proven. The article provides an overview of current views on the role of risk factors in assessment of cardiovascular risk in asymptomatic patients. Determination of individual cardiovascular risk is not questioned. However, more information is accumulating on the need to supplement the existing cardiovascular risk assessment scales with new factors in order to more accurately predict cardiovascular risk. The value of alternative risk factors, such as psychosocial factor, level of physical activity, family history of cardiovascular diseases, coronary artery calcification, ankle-brachial index, and identification of atherosclerotic plaques during ultrasound scanning of the brachiocephalic arteries, is described. Studies that consider the impact of these risk factors on reducing discrimination against cardiovascular risk when added to the globally used risk assessment scales are presented.