JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Cardio-cerebrovascular vascular diseases (CVD) cause 17.5 million deaths annually worldwide, accounting for 46.2% of non-communicable causes of death, and are the leading cause of death, followed by cancer, respiratory disease, and diabetes mellitus. Coronary artery computed tomography angiography (CCTA), which detects calcification in the coronary arteries, can be used to detect asymptomatic but serious vascular disease. It allows noninvasive and quick testing despite involving radiation exposure.

Objective:

The objective of our study was to investigate the effectiveness of CCTA screening on CVD outcomes, using Observational Health Data Sciences and Informatics’ Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership Common Data Model (CDM) data.

Methods:

Using electronic health record-based CDM data, adults without a history of CVD, aged 30–74 years, were selected, and 5-year CVD outcomes were compared between the patients undergoing CCTA (target group) and a comparison group. Participants were stratified into low-risk and high-risk groups, based on the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease (ASCVD) risk score and Framingham risk score (FRS), for a subgroup analysis.

Results:

The 2-year and 5-year risk scores were compared as secondary outcomes between the two groups. In total, 8,787 participants each in the target and comparison groups were included. No significant difference was found between the hazard ratios of the groups at 5 years. The subgroup analysis also revealed no significant difference between the ASCVD risk score and FRS of the groups at five years. However, the CCTA group showed significantly low increase in risk score at 2 years (p-value: 0.020 [ASCVD], 0.030 [FRS score]).

Conclusions:

CCTA had no preventive effect on CVD at 5 years, though there may be a beneficial effect at 2 years.