Berekening van levenslang risico op HVZ en potentiële gezondheidswinst bij jongvolwassenen

Ten-year risk estimates for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in younger adults (< 45 years old) are generally below thresholds for drug treatment, even in the presence of multiple risk factors. For this population group, European guidelines recommend using lifetime risk (LTR), which predicts the cumulative risk of CVD over the life span. LTR may prompt interventions long before conventional treatment thresholds are reached. LTR estimates were recently adjusted to take into account the potential impacts of therapeutic effects in order to quantify the potential number of CVD-free life years gained. However, assumptions on life-long risk exposure and achievable risk reduction lack evidence beyond what is observed in clinical trials. Furthermore, LTR thresholds above which interventions in young adults are cost effective are currently not known. Therefore, although LTR can be useful for raising awareness and stimulating healthy lifestyles, further research is warranted before it can be recommended for clinical use.