From Heartwire CME
ACC, AHA Update Guidelines for Treatment of High Cholesterol CME/CE
CME/CE Released: 12/02/2013; Valid for credit through 12/02/2014
CLINICAL CONTEXT
Lipid-lowering pharmacotherapy, particularly with statins, is one of the cornerstones of prevention of cardiovascular disease. A previous study by Jones and colleagues, which appeared in the December 2012 issue of the Journal of the American Heart Association, found that 67% to 77% of US patients using statins as secondary prevention against further cardiovascular events had achieved a low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol level of less than 100 mg/dL. Only 20% to 26% had an LDL cholesterol level of less than 70 mg/dL, and many patients had abnormal levels of other lipid values besides LDL cholesterol.
But what is in a number? According to the current guidelines from the American Heart Association (AHA) and American College of Cardiology (ACC), target LDL cholesterol levels are not as valuable as a more holistic perspective in assessing which patients should receive lipid-lowering therapy. The revolutionary recommendations are summarized in Recommendation Highlights.
STUDY SYNOPSIS AND PERSPECTIVE
It has been more than a decade since the Adult Treatment Panel (ATP) issued the third report for the detection, evaluation, and treatment of elevated cholesterol and nine years since those recommendations were updated, but new guidelines from the ACC and AHA, developed in conjunction with the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), are now available online in both the Journal of the American College of Cardiology and Circulation[1]./.../
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