Dr. Mamudu Publishes on Predicting Cardiovascular Risk

Dr. Hadii Mamudu, Associate Professor in the Department of Health Services Management and Policy in the East Tennessee State University College of Public Health, has co-authored an article in Current Cardiology Reports.  The article, New Algorithm for the Prediction of Cardiovascular Risk in Symptomatic Adults with Stable Chest Pain, reviews landmark studies in predicting obstructive coronary artery disease to identify better prediction tools and propose a simplified algorithm to guide health care providers in identifying low risk patients to defer further testing. 

Additional authors include Drs. Muralidhar Papireddy (lead author) and Timir Paul (corresponding author) of the Quillen College of Medicine as well as individuals from The University of Queensland School of Medicine and Texas Tech University. 

Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States, accounting for 1 in 3 deaths and more than $300 billion in healthcare costs.  Coronary artery disease, the most common form of cardiovascular disease, accounts for 1 in 6 deaths.  Several risk prediction tools for both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients have evolved over the last few decades to guide physicians in identifying patients at-risk for further testing. 

The study aimed to review the literature and create an algorithm that could help providers identify lower-risk patients and thereby reduce invasive procedures and their associated costs and risks.  Risk prediction models include Diamond-Forrester, Duke Clinical Score, CAD Consortium Basic, Clinical, and Extended models. 

The research team examined these models and compiled an algorithm that recommends ten variables to identify low-risk patients.  The proposed algorithm would guide physicians in selecting patients who might not benefit from further testing.

Current Cardiology Reports provides in-depth review articles contributed by international experts on the most significant developments in the field.  The journal aims to elucidate current and emerging approaches to the diagnosis, treatment, management, and prevention of cardiology-related diseases and conditions.