High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and parental history of myocardial infarction are both risk factors for the development of cardiovascular disease. This study compared a traditional risk prediction algorithm to the Reynolds Risk Score (which included traditional risk factors plus hs-CRP and family history) in terms of their ability to predict cardiovascular disease. Among a sample of 10,724 initially healthy nondiabetic American men followed for 10.8 years, 1,294 cardiovascular events were recorded. Compared to traditional risk factors (age, blood pressure, smoking status, cholesterol, HDL cholesterol), the Reynolds Risk Score provided a better global fit. This risk score reclassified 17.8% of the study population into higher- or lower-risk categories for all cardiovascular endpoints. For the coronary heart disease endpoint, the risk reclassification was 16.7%. As the Reynolds Risk Score had already shown that hs-CRP and parental history improved global cardiovascular risk prediction in women, results of the present study provide evidence that paying attention to hs-CRP and family history is also worthwhile in men.
Documentation centre