Screening in asymptomatic coronary artery disease: helpful, redundant or harmful?

Excerpt

Screening asymptomatic individuals remains the subject of intense debate in medicine. In the beginning of 2014 the use of screening for breast cancer in women was seriously questioned based on studies from Canada (Toronto) and the Netherlands (Leiden). It was shown that, particularly in women over 70 years, screening for breast cancer might even bring more harm than benefit in terms of over diagnosis and thus overtreatment. With respect to carotid artery disease, in September of this year the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) published a recommendation to oppose the screening of the general adult population to detect asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis [1]. The Task Force found that ultrasound may produce false-positives resulting in angiography or even surgery, with the accompanying high risk of stroke, heart attack, or death. This recommendation may be important because it may influence insurance coverage. …