Clinical utility of novel biomarkers in the prediction of coronary heart disease

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Many risk prediction models have been developed in an effort to assist clinicians in risk assessment and the prevention of CHD. However, it is unclear whether the existing CHD prediction tools can improve clinical performance, and recently, there has been a lot of effort being made to improve the accuracy of the prediction models. A large number of novel biomarkers have been identified to be associated with cardiovascular risk, and studied with the goal of improving the accuracy and clinical utility of CHD risk prediction. Yet, controversy still remains with regard to the utility of novel biomarkers in CHD risk assessment, and in finding the best statistical methods to assess the incremental value of the biomarkers. This article discusses the statistical approaches that can be used to evaluate the predictive values of new biomarkers, and reviews the clinical utility of novel biomarkers in CHD prediction, specifically in the Korean population.