title: Overweight can be used as a tool to guide case-finding for cardiovascular risk assessment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In general practice, it is too time-consuming to invite all patients for cardiovascular risk assessment.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine how many patients with an indication for treatment with cardiovascular medication can be identified by ad hoc case-finding when all patients with overweight/obesity are invited for risk assessment.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional analysis of the baseline measurements of the Netherlands Epidemiology of Obesity study, a population-based prospective cohort study in 6673 persons aged 45-65 years. We calculated the proportion of participants with a treatment indication using the risk prediction Systematic COronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE-NL 2011), for lean, overweight and obese participants. Participants with a history of cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus or rheumatoid arthritis or using cardiovascular medication were not eligible for ad hoc case-finding because they were already identified as being at risk and/or had been treated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the study population, 30% had already been identified and/or treated with cardiovascular medication and were therefore not eligible for ad hoc case-finding. Of the eligible participants, 47% were lean, 41% overweight and 12% obese. Of the participants with overweight, 12% had a treatment indication and of the participants with obesity, 19% had a treatment indication. Of all participants with a treatment indication 24% were not yet treated. Of all participants with a new treatment indication, 70% had overweight or obesity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Of the participants with a treatment indication, 24% were not yet treated. Inviting patients with overweight/obesity for cardiovascular risk assessment may help to detect 70% of these residual patients with a treatment indication.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, a.w.de_boer@lumc.nl.
authors.forename: Anna W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: de Boer
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Epidemiology and.
authors.forename: Renée
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: de Mutsert
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Department of Internal Medicine, VU Medical Center, Amsterdam.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: den Heijer
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden and.
authors.forename: Johan W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Jukema
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Epidemiology and.
authors.forename: Frits R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Rosendaal
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden.
authors.forename: Jeanet W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Blom
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Department of Primary and Community care, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Willem J J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Assendelft
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D009765:Obesity; D050177:Overweight; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors
keywords: Cardiovascular diseases; general practice; overweight; primary prevention; risk assessment; risk factors.