Age, sex, body mass index, smoking status, hypertension, diabetes, family history, and cholesterol levels are the heavy hitters of risk assessment for coronary heart disease, especially in patients of a certain age. Combined, these risk factors explain a considerable amount of population risk; but in isolation, each is merely a weak predictor of risk, so that making risk predictions at the individual level is a complex and risky process. Recently, biomarkers such as homocysteine levels and C-reactive protein (CRP) have been added as considerations in predicting individual risk. Their inclusion has sparked considerable debate, and things could heat up yet,...