CAQ
CAQ Index
Coronary Artery Quality
Cardiovascular Health Framework

Coronary Artery Quality (CAQ) Index

A next-generation approach to cardiovascular prevention that emphasizes long-term vascular health and sustained lifestyle change.

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Concept by Dr. Dokyoung Yoon, MD, PhD
CAQ Index C Clinical Markers L Lifestyle Behaviors F Functional Health R Resilience Positive Health

Introduction

The Coronary Artery Quality (CAQ) Index is a dynamic and modifiable framework for cardiovascular prevention.

Unlike traditional risk tools focused primarily on event prediction, the CAQ Index frames coronary health as dynamic, measurable, and modifiable.

It provides patients and clinicians with an actionable way to track improvement across clinical, behavioral, functional, and resilience domains over time.

The goal is not simply to predict cardiovascular events, but to help people build and maintain better cardiovascular health over the long term.
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Dynamic Cardiovascular Health

A multidimensional approach that connects clinical measures, daily behaviors, physical function, and positive health.

Framework

The CAQ Index brings together four complementary dimensions of cardiovascular health.

C

Clinical & Physiological Markers

  • Blood pressure (average & variability)
  • Lipid profile quality (LDL-C, HDL-C, triglycerides, ApoB/ApoA1)
  • Glycemic control (fasting glucose, HbA1c, insulin resistance)
  • Inflammation (hs-CRP, IL-6 and emerging biomarkers)
  • Optional imaging (CAC score, CCTA features)
L

Lifestyle & Behavioral Domains

  • Nutrition quality (Mediterranean/DASH adherence)
  • Physical activity (steps, MVPA minutes)
  • Sleep health (duration, regularity, quality)
  • Stress management & mindfulness
  • Tobacco avoidance; alcohol moderation
F

Functional Health Indicators

  • Cardiorespiratory fitness (VO₂ max or field estimates)
  • Body composition (BMI, waist-to-hip ratio, % body fat)
  • Vascular flexibility (pulse wave velocity / stiffness)
R

Positive Health & Resilience

  • Consistency of healthy routines (habit streaks)
  • Self-efficacy & health literacy
  • Social support & environment for health
Scoring concept: Scores can be normalized to a 0–10 scale per domain and combined into a composite 0–100 CAQ score. Weighting can favor lifestyle and resilience to reinforce positive, modifiable change.

Visual Model

A four-domain view of coronary health and opportunities for improvement.

2 4 6 8 10 Clinical Markers Lifestyle Behaviors Functional Health Positive Resilience

The radar chart provides a balanced view of the four CAQ domains. A larger and more symmetrical shape indicates stronger, more comprehensive cardiovascular health.

Narrow or uneven areas can highlight opportunities for targeted improvement and shared goal-setting between patients and clinicians.

  • ✓ Update values dynamically from clinic or app data feeds.
  • ✓ Track trends over time to visualize lifestyle impact.
  • ✓ Surface tailored coaching tips for the lowest-scoring domain.

From Risk Prediction to Health Improvement

The CAQ Index is designed to make cardiovascular health measurable, understandable, and actionable over time.

0–100 CAQ Score

The CAQ Index presented on this website is a proposed conceptual framework. It is intended for discussion, research, and educational purposes and should not be interpreted as a validated clinical risk score or as a substitute for professional medical evaluation.