CMC Risk Assessment & Management 2

Question 1

A 62-year-old man with hypertension and dyslipidemia presents for cardiovascular risk evaluation. His 10-year ASCVD risk is 9.5%. Which management step is most appropriate?

Accepted Answer

Engage in a risk discussion and consider statin therapy with moderate intensity

Answer

A 10-year ASCVD risk of 7.5–10% is in the borderline risk zone, warranting a clinician–patient risk discussion before initiating moderate-intensity statin therapy.

Question 2

Which of the following 'risk-enhancing factors' can shift a borderline-risk patient toward initiating statin therapy per 2018 AHA/ACC guidelines?

Accepted Answer

hsCRP ≥ 2 mg/L

Answer

An hsCRP ≥ 2 mg/L is a recognized risk-enhancing factor that supports initiation of statin therapy in borderline-risk patients.

Question 3

In the revised GRACE 2.0 ACS risk score, which variable contributes most to predicting 6-month mortality after hospitalization for ACS?

Accepted Answer

Age

Answer

Age is the single most heavily weighted variable in the GRACE score, reflecting the strong age-dependent increase in post-ACS mortality.

Question 4

A patient's coronary artery calcium (CAC) score returns at 0. How does this result affect statin decision-making in a borderline-risk patient?

Accepted Answer

It supports withholding statin therapy and repeating in 5–10 years

Answer

A CAC score of 0 in a borderline-risk patient supports a decision to withhold statin therapy, as it indicates very low near-term atherosclerotic event risk.

Question 5

Which cardiac biomarker, when elevated in a stable outpatient with heart failure, is most strongly associated with increased mortality risk?

Accepted Answer

Troponin I (high-sensitivity)

Answer

Elevated high-sensitivity troponin I in stable heart failure patients identifies subclinical myocardial injury and is independently associated with increased mortality.

CMC - Cardiac Medicine Certification Practice Test

CMC - Cardiac Medicine Certification Practice Test

CMC Risk Assessment & Management 2