Assessment of Cardiovascular Risk – The Impact and Future of Non-traditional Cardiovascular Risk Markers

Abstract

In relatively young patients (men <55 and women >65 years of age), first-time hospitalisation for cardiovascular disease (CVD) strikes without warning since the traditional cardiovascular risk factors are often normal or only slightly elevated. Therefore, we need non-traditional cardiovascular risk markers more closely related to CVD that can reliably predict future CVD in individuals, making better targeted prevention and more individualised treatment possible. However, it has been difficult to find non-traditional cardiovascular risk markers suitable for risk assessment, underlining the importance of future research into the complex mechanisms that lead to CVD. Better understanding of these complex mechanisms might enable us to find better risk markers and improve future cardiovascular risk assessment and treatment.

Effects of high-intensity interval training on cardiometabolic health: a systematic review and meta-analysis of intervention studies

“…However, no review, to date, has sought to provide an extensive review of the effect of HIIT on traditional and novel markers of CVD risk factors such as inflammation. The need for a systematic review/meta-analysis examining the efficacy of HIIT on markers of cardiometabolic health is particularly relevant as a growing number of individuals who develop CVD, despite the absence of traditional CVD risk factors (ie, hypertension, elevated blood glucose and high cholesterol) 24. Additionally, the higher exertion and unique pattern of HIIT may induce changes in novel markers of CVD risk.…”

Changes in subclinical organ damage vs. in Framingham risk score for assessing cardiovascular risk reduction during continued antihypertensive treatment: a LIFE substudy

“…Furthermore, if one accepts the concept that SOD is a part of cardiovascular memory, it strengthens the argument for early intensive risk factor intervention in order to prevent development of SOD, thereby making normalization of cardiovascular risk during antihypertensive treatment more likely [5]. Our results also suggest that SOD is a consequence of not only the level of traditional cardiovascular risk factors, but also of their interactions and individuals sensitivity to their damaging effects underlining the limitations of just measuring the traditional cardiovascular risk factors and the need for better understanding of the mechanisms leading from traditional cardiovascular risk factors through SOD to overt cardiovascular disease [21].…”