A CAC score predicts ASCVD events in a graded fashion and is independent of other risk factors, such as age, sex, and ethnicity.S4.4-1 A CAC score equal to zero is useful for reclassifying patients to a lower-risk group, often allowing statin therapy to be withheld or postponed unless higher risk conditions are present. For patients >75 years of age, RCT evidence for statin therapy is not strong, so clinical assessment of risk status in a clinician patient risk discussion is need- ed for deciding whether to continue or initiate statin 4.4.1. Evaluation and Risk Assessment 4.4.1.1. Essential Process of Risk Assessment Children and adolescents should be tested for lipid dis- orders as described in Section 4.4.4.3. Risk assessment in young adults 20 to 39 years of age is discussed in CLINICAL STATEMENTS AND GUIDELINES Section 4.4.4.2. In the young adult age group, mea- surement of risk factors allows for estimation of life- time risk of ASCVD. (See the risk calculators provided on the ACC and AHA websites.S4.4.1.1-1,S4.4.1-2 ) Young adults with moderate hypercholesterolemia (LDL-C levels 160 189 mg/dL [4.1 4.8 mmol/L]) may be can- didates for cholesterol-lowering drugs. After age 20 years, traditional risk factors should be assessed every In adults who are free from ASCVD, traditional ASCVD risk factors should be assessed every 4 to 6 Adults 40 to 75 years of age are po- tential candidates for statin therapy. Selection of pa- tients for statin therapy is a multistep process. The first step to determine individual risk of clinical ASCVD is to categorize patients into 4 categories of risk, from high to low. 