Experiences from the Pilot Study of the Danish Cardiovascular Screening (DANCAVAS) Study

Abstract

Objective: To assess the feasibility, organization, and attendance experience of men and women, aged 65e74, who underwent a combination cardiovascular screening for aortic aneurysms, coronary calcium scores, atrial fibrillation, hypertension, peripheral arterial disease, hypercholesterolemia and diabetes mellitus. Methods: Attenders were booked via a web-based program with 10 minute sessions, covering four issues: 1) Informed consent and an interview, including family history, medication, history of smoking, prior cardiovascular disease and quality of life. 2) Bilateral brachial and ankle blood pressure measurements. 3) Electroocardiogram gated non-contrast computed tomography and, 4) Blood sampling. Data were then entered into a database, supplemented with a weekly running program to identify positive findings for recommended additional prevention. Results: Web-based solutions for booking and data-management worked remarkably well with no major issues. There were 1044 men and 1016 women invited, of which 678 (63%) men and 640 (63%) women attended screening. No exclusion criteria were applied. Compared to the American MESA group, a more rapid increase in CAC by age was registered in Danish males and women. Apart from these findings and isolated hypercholesterolaemia, men had an increased risk of all other positive findings, especially concerning ascending aortic-, abdominal aortic-, and iliac aneurysm. In all, men accounted for 90.9% of all detected aneurysms. In 7.8% of these aneurysms, criteria for surgery were fulfilled. Conclusion: The offer of this combination screening proved feasible, while acceptable attendance rates were observed, and it appears potentially most cost-effective for men. Consequently, the offer of this combination screening will be extended to other sites with randomization of 45.000 men aged 65e74 years.