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Editor’s Note: The following Point/Counterpoint articles were derived from a debate presentation sponsored by the American Society for Preventive Cardiology at the March 2010 meeting of the American Heart Association Council on Epidemiology and Prevention, titled “Should We Focus on Novel Risk Marker and Screening Tests to Better Predict and Prevent Cardiovascular Disease?” Dr. James de Lemos presented the pro side, titled “Novel Risk Markers and Screening Tests Will Improve the Prediction and Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease,” and Dr. Donald Lloyd-Jones advocated the con side, titled “Better Implementation of Existing Knowledge Will Save More Lives Than All of the Novel Biomarkers in the World.” The following articles include points from the debate, rebuttal, and questions raised by the audience. We thank all authors for sharing this debate with the readership.

Editor’s Note: The following Point/Counterpoint articles were derived from a debate presentation sponsored by the American Society for Preventive Cardiology at the March 2010 meeting of the American Heart Association Council on Epidemiology and Prevention, titled “Should We Focus on Novel Risk Marker and Screening Tests to Better Predict and Prevent Cardiovascular Disease?” Dr. James de Lemos presented the pro side, titled “Novel Risk Markers and Screening Tests Will Improve the Prediction and PRevention of Cardiovascular Disease,” and Dr. Donald Lloyd-Jones advocated the con side, titled “Better Implementation of Existing Knowledge Will Save More Lives Than All of the Novel Biomarkers in the World.” The following articles include points from the debate, rebuttal, and questions raised by the audience. We thank all authors for sharing this debate with the readership.

This study characterized the determinants of carotid atherosclerosis in a large contemporary sample of current smokers. Associations between risk factors, carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), and carotid plaque presence were determined by multivariable regression. Participants included 1504 current smokers (58% female) who were a median (interquartile range) of 44.7 (38–53) years old and smoked 25 (15–40) pack-years; 55% had plaque. Pack-years, age, male sex, nonwhite race, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, small low-density lipoproteins (LDLs), and total high-density lipoproteins were independently associated with CIMT (model R²=0.434, P<.001). Pack-years (odds ratio [OR], 1.14 per 10 pack-years; P=.001), age (OR, 1.75 per 10 years; P<.001), body mass index (OR, 0.91 per 5 kg/m²; P=.035), and small LDLs (OR, 1.11 per 100 nmol/L; P<.001) were independently associated with carotid plaque presence (model χ²=210.7, P<.001). The association between pack-years and carotid plaque was stronger in women (OR, 1.09 per 10 pack-years, P_interaction=.018).

The authors investigated the use of warfarin at hospital discharge in 557 consecutive patients, mean age 76 years, with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF) at a university hospital. Of 557 patients with AF, 116 (21%) had contraindications to warfarin. Of patients eligible for warfarin, warfarin was used in 8 of 30 patients (27%) with a CHADS₂ score of 0, in 82 of 132 patients (62%) with a CHADS₂ score of 1, in 121 of 175 patients (70%) with a CHADS₂ score of 2, in 72 of 77 patients (94%) with a CHADS₂ score of 3, and in 27 of 27 patients (100%) with a CHADS₂ score of 4 to 6. Warfarin was used in 123 of 168 patients (73%) older than 75 years, in 74 of 79 patients (94%) aged 65 to 75 years, and in 23 of 32 patients (72%) younger than 65 years. Warfarin was used in 80 of 116 patients (69%) with a glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min/1.73 m² and in 140 of 163 patients (86%) with a glomerular filtration rate ≥60 mL/min/1.73 m². There was no significant difference in use of warfarin between men and women and between whites and nonwhites.

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The goal of this research was to evaluate the personal health behaviors of physicians in training and attending physicians in association with patient-related lifestyle counseling. Physicians at a major teaching hospital were surveyed regarding their personal lifestyle behavior, perceived confidence, and frequency of counseling patients regarding lifestyle behaviors. One hundred eighty-three total responses were received. Trainees were more likely to consume fast food and less likely to consume fruits and vegetables than attendings. Attending physicians were more likely to exercise 4 or more days per week and more than 150 minutes per week. Attending physicians were more likely to counsel their patients regarding a healthy diet (70.7% vs 36.3%, P<.0001) and regular exercise (69.1% vs 38.2%, P<.0001) compared with trainees. Few trainees or attendings were confident in their ability to change patients’ behaviors. Predictors of confidence in counseling for exercise included the provider’s own exercise time of >150 minutes per week, being overweight, and reported adequate training in counseling. Only adequate training in counseling was a predictor of strong self-efficacy for counseling in diet. Many physicians lack confidence in their ability to counsel patients regarding lifestyle. Personal behaviors including regular exercise and better training in counseling techniques may improve patient counseling.

Cardiovascular risk factors have utility in risk prediction but have limitations in predicting individual risk. Identifying an individual’s risk remains a challenge. Emerging technologies such as carotid artery ultrasonography and measures of carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) may be useful in identifying the susceptible patient who may benefit from more aggressive preventive therapy. This screening test is noninvasive, reproducible, inexpensive, and radiation-free. Recent data have improved our understanding of the application of CIMT as a screening tool for cardiovascular disease. CIMT measurement may place an individual into a higher- or lower-risk category, allowing for appropriate institution of preventive strategies.