[Practicality of cardiovascular risk functions].

Cardiovascular diseases prevention strategies require refinement because their incidence decreases very slowly. Risk functions were developed by including classical cardiovascular risk factors (age, sex, smoking, diabetes, blood pressure, and basic lipid profile) in cohorts followed more than 10 years. They are reasonably precise for population screening of, principally, coronary artery disease risk, required in all cardiovascular primary prevention clinical guidelines. Coronary artery disease risk functions classify patients in risk strata to concentrate the maximum therapeutic and life style effort in the highest risk groups, in which the number needed to treat and cost-effectiveness are optimal. By communicating the relative risk and vascular age to patients, increased motivation to comply with the proposed drug and life-style modifications can be achieved. Approximately 20% of the population 35 to 74 years old has an intermediate risk that requires reclassification into high or low risk because they concentrate 35% of population coronary artery disease events. Several biomarkers (biochemical, genetic or imaging) are being tested to improve coronary artery disease risk functions precision. Computerized systems of health facilities should incorporate, automated risk calculation in order to support the preventive task of health care providers.