A new risk score based on SPECT imaging and other variables can accurately predict risks for women of major adverse cardiovascular events, according to a December 5 study published in Radiology: Cardiothoracic Imaging.
The new risk score fills a significant gap in efforts to improve cardiac care in women, noted lead author Guillermo Romero-Farina, MD, PhD, of the Vall d’Hebron University Hospital in Barcelona, Spain, and colleagues.
“Female individuals have often been underrepresented in cardiovascular studies, and few studies in cardiovascular medicine have addressed the issue of coronary risk focused on clinical and imaging outcomes in female individuals alone,” the group wrote.
Coronary artery disease (CAD) continues to be the leading cause of death among women in the U.S. and throughout most of the world, the researchers noted. Coronary risk stratification models are important tools for identifying which patients are most likely to experience major adverse cardiovascular events, such as heart attack, stroke, or even death.
Thus, Romero-Farina and colleagues sought to establish a “Coronary Risk Score in Women,” or CORSWO, to aid in the prediction of major cardiovascular events specifically in women. The group analyzed data from 2,226 women ages 40 to 93 who were referred to their hospital for risk assessment and evaluation.
All patients underwent gated SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging, an imaging procedure that measures left ventricular function and myocardial perfusion at the same time. The average follow-up time was approximately four years (the maximum was 10 years) and all follow-ups occurred in the hospital as a result of a major adverse cardiovascular event.
Using eight variables, the CORSWO calculated the risk of a cardiac event in patients and categorized them into four risk levels: low, moderate, high, and very high. The model accurately predicted major adverse cardiovascular events in women who were categorized as high and very high risk, as well as performed better than other risk models.
“By grouping patients into different risk levels—ranging from low to very high risk—doctors can better focus resources and treatments on those who need them the most,” Romero-Farina said, in a news release from RSNA.
Ultimately, the researchers noted that this novel approach of incorporating clinical, exercise, and imaging-based variables is important in accurately calculating the risk of cardiac events in women.
“This approach helps us catch potential heart issues earlier, especially serious events like heart attacks and sudden cardiac death, which are the outcomes cardiologists are most concerned about preventing,” Romero-Farina said.
The full study is available here.
