Chinese ASCVD risk equations rather than pooled cohort equations are better to identify macro- and microcirculation abnormalities

Abstract Background We hypothesized that discriminating the early subclinical organ damage would serve as a great opportunity for prevention against atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), low retinal vascular fractal dimension, and albuminuria are surrogates of subclinical vascular changes. Methods The aim of this study was to use Pooled Cohort Equations (PCE) and ASCVD risk equations derived from “Prediction for ASCVD Risk in China project (CHINA-PAR)” to observe the prevalence of macro- and microcirculation abnormalities. A total of 2166 subjects were involved. Characteristics were investigated using questionnaire and physical examinations. We calculated the urine albumin to creatinine ratio (UACR). The baPWV was measured using a fully automatic arteriosclerosis detector. The retinal vascular fractal dimension was measured by a semiautomated computer-based program. The 10-year ASCVD risk was estimated using the PCE and CHINA-PAR model. Results The cut-off values for the elevated baPWV were 2.82 and 2.92% in the PCE model and CHINA-PAR model, respectively, with nearly 85% sensitivity and an average specificity of 74%. For low retinal fractal dimension, at the cut-off point of 3.8%, we acquired an acceptable sensitivity of 66.27–68.24% and specificity of 62.57–67.45%. All the C-statistics presented a significant improvement from the PCE model to the CHINA-PAR model (P < 0.05). For all categories—net reclassification improvement (NRI) values were significant and clearly varied (0.329, 0.183, and 0.104, respectively) depending on the cut-off set at 3%. Conclusion Our study demonstrated that the CHINA-PAR equations rather than PCE could provide better identification of macro- and microcirculation abnormalities. A lower cut-off point for the subclinical vascular changes may be selected in a population from southeast China.