Cost effectiveness of coronary calcification scanning using electron beam tomography in intermediate and high risk asymptomatic individuals

Pharmaceutical therapy of hyperlipidemia is clearly beneficial. In the pati ent without established heart disease however, conventional risk assessment is imprecise and determining which patients are at highest versus lowest r isk is a common clinical conundrum, It is well established that the most po werful determinant to risk is the overall extent/severity of coronary disea se, Electron beam tomography (EBT) and quantification of coronary artery ca lcium has been shown to provide a valid non-invasive surrogate to atheroscl erotic plaque burden. Screening patients who are considered to be at tradit ional intermediate to high risk by first using EBT can refine the broad-bas ed population risk to a more individual basis. Data that is based upon a mo del developed for application of EBT are presented, which discuss its poten tial as a cost effective application to guide statin therapy in intermediat e and high-risk sub-groups. J Cardiovasc Risk 7:113-119 (C) 2000 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.