International journal of cardiology
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Multicenter Study
External validation of two Framingham cardiovascular risk equations and the Pooled Cohort equations: A nationwide registry analysis.
Cardiovascular prevention guidelines advocate the use of statistical risk equations to predict individual cardiovascular risk. However, predictive accuracy and clinical value of existing equations may differ in populations other than the one used for their development. Using baseline and follow-up data of the Austrian health-screening program, we assessed discrimination, calibration, and clinical utility of three widely recommended equations-the Framingham 1991 and 2008 general cardiovascular disease (CVD) equations, and the Pooled Cohort equations predicting atherosclerotic CVD. ⋯ The equations can discriminate high-risk from low-risk individuals, but predictive accuracy (especially for high-risk individuals) might be improved by recalibration. The Framingham 1991 equation yielded the most accurate predictions.