Click on image to view larger version.

Figure 1 Risk stratification in coronary disease. The standard risk stratification allocates subjects to low-, intermediate-, and high-risk categories. High risk is traditionally considered to be >2% per year. However, since such patients may also include those at very high annual risk (>15%), the latter deserve to be placed into a separate category. Identification of a very-high-risk category will require development of imaging techniques aimed at the detection of unstable coronary plaques.