Assessment of subclinical atherosclerosis to improve primary prevention in familial coronary artery disease

This thesis examines how risk factors, genetics and heart ultrasound can be used to identify which patients with a family history of heart disease, would benefit from investigations which identify early disease of their heart arteries. It found that genetics and ultrasound did not help select patients beyond standard heart disease risk factors. It also found that identifying early heart disease could help patients control their risk factors and may be a cost-effective strategy to prevent heart disease, stroke and early death.