Bottom Line: The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends against adding screening with electrocardiography (ECG) to standard risk assessment to prevent cardiovascular disease (CVD) events in adults without symptoms at low risk.
Background: The USPSTF routinely makes recommendations about the effectiveness of preventive care services. This latest statement is an update of the 2012 recommendation on screening for coronary heart disease with ECG. Cardiovascular disease, which includes conditions such as coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease and peripheral arterial disease, is the most common cause of death among adults in the United States.
Related material
The following related elements from The JAMA Network are also available on the For The Media website :
-- A podcast interview with Seth Landefeld, M.D., a member of the USPSTF and co-author of the recommendation statement.
-- Screening for Cardiovascular Disease Risk With Electrocardiography - US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement
-- Screening for Cardiovascular Disease Risk With Resting or Exercise Electrocardiography - Evidence Report and Systematic Review for the US Preventive Services Task Force
-- JAMA editorial: The Screening ECG and Cardiac Risks
-- JAMA Internal Medicine editorial: Screening for Cardiovascular Disease Risk With Electrocardiography
-- JAMA Cardiology editorial: Does Resting or Exercise Electrocardiography Assist Clinicians in Preventing Cardiovascular Events in Asymptomatic Adults?
-- JAMA Patient Page: Screening for Cardiovascular Disease Risk With ECG
To Learn More: The full report is available on the For The Media website .
(doi:10.1001/jama.2018.3710)
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Editor's Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.
Note : More information about the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, its process, and its recommendations can be found on the newsroom page of its website.
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