Conducting a Screening Study Using the SCORE Cardiovascular Disease Risk Assessment Model and Discussion of the SCORE Model in Light of the Results

Abstract Objective and Aim Cardiovascular diseases remain a leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide and in Türkiye. Contemporary preventive strategies emphasize reducing an individual’s overall cardiovascular risk burden rather than focusing on isolated risk factors. Within this framework, the SCORE (Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation) model has been developed as a widely used tool to estimate the 10-year risk of fatal cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to calculate SCORE risk values in patients presenting to the Family Medicine Outpatient Clinic of Mersin University and to evaluate the results according to the Türkiye and European SCORE algorithms. Materials and Methods This retrospective study was conducted with the approval of the Mersin University Clinical Research Ethics Committee. Data from 304 patients who met the inclusion criteria and presented to the Family Medicine Outpatient Clinic between 01.08.2018 and 01.08.2020 were analyzed. SCORE-Türkiye and SCORE-Europe risk percentages were calculated using age, sex, systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and tobacco use status. Patients were classified according to body mass index (BMI), and the relationships between BMI categories and cardiovascular risk levels were statistically evaluated. Results Of the 304 patients included in the study, 72.7% were female and 27.3% were male. The mean cardiovascular risk value was 4.3 ± 6.2% according to the SCORE-Türkiye algorithm and 2.25 ± 3.1% according to the SCORE-Europe algorithm. Risk values calculated by both algorithms were significantly higher in men compared with women (p<0.05). No statistically significant difference was observed in mean risk scores among BMI categories. Conclusion Significant differences were observed between the SCORE-Türkiye and SCORE-Europe algorithms in terms of cardiovascular risk estimation. These findings highlight the importance of using country-specific mortality data in cardiovascular risk assessment. The use of risk models adapted to Türkiye is essential for more accurate risk estimation and for guiding appropriate preventive strategies. Keywords: SCORE, Cardiovascular Risk Assessment Model, Screening Study