By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    UV damage to eyes
    Warning Signs of Long-Term UV Damage to Your Eyes
    December 9, 2021
    degree for healthcare job
    The Ultimate Healthcare Recruiting and Staffing Guidebook
    March 21, 2022
    medicare part d benefits
    Everything that You Need to Know About Medicare Part D
    August 15, 2022
    Latest News
    Why Custom Telemedicine Apps Outperform Off‑the‑Shelf Solutions
    July 20, 2025
    How Probate Planning Shapes the Future of Your Estate and Family Care
    July 17, 2025
    Beyond Nutrition: Everyday Foods That Support Whole-Body Health
    June 15, 2025
    The Wide-Ranging Benefits of Magnesium Supplements
    June 11, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    wound management market US
    Established to Emerging, Commodity to Advanced in Wound Management
    May 26, 2014
    healthcare.gov homepage
    Interest in Obamacare Slowly Increasing
    November 8, 2013
    Medical Advancement on Patient Privacy: It Must Be Protected At All Cost
    December 12, 2017
    Latest News
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
    How Health Choices and Legal Actions Intersect After an Injury
    July 17, 2025
    How communities and healthcare providers can address slip and fall injuries with legal awareness
    July 17, 2025
    Let Your Lawyer Handle the Work Before You Pay Medical Costs
    July 6, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: New Blood Cholesterol Guidelines
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Specialties > Cardiology > New Blood Cholesterol Guidelines
CardiologyNewsPolicy & LawPublic HealthWellness

New Blood Cholesterol Guidelines

psalber
psalber
Share
5 Min Read
blood cholesterol
SHARE

blood cholesterolThe American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA) have released the first update in almost ten years to guide treatment of blood cholesterol to prevent atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD).  There are some big changes that will undoubtedly be controversial, including a statement by the Expert Panel that developed the guidelines that there is no randomized

blood cholesterolThe American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA) have released the first update in almost ten years to guide treatment of blood cholesterol to prevent atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD).  There are some big changes that will undoubtedly be controversial, including a statement by the Expert Panel that developed the guidelines that there is no randomized clinical trial (RCT) evidence to support continued use of specific LDL-C and/or non-HDL-C treatment targets.

Who Should be Considered for Treatment with Statins?

The report starts by stating that healthy lifestyle is the foundation for ASCVD risk reduction.  You know the drill:  heart healthy diet, regular exercise, no tobacco, and maintenance of a healthy weight.

More Read

What Is The Thyroid Stimulating Hormone Test And Why Do You Need It?
#ThinkFurther: The Future of Medicine [VIDEO]
Different System, Same Challenges: Long-Term Care Perspective From Canada
Everything We Know in Health is Wrong. Medicine is a Science, Not Dogma. #askforevidence
What to Do if Sued for Healthcare Fraud: A Guide for Healthcare Providers

Then, they detail the four major groups of people who could benefit from statin treatment:

  1. Individuals with clinical ASCVD, including not just people with prior heart attacks, angina, or coronary artery disease resulting in a stent or bypass but also people with atherosclerotic stroke, TIA, or peripheral arterial disease.
  2. People with primary elevations of LDL-C of 190 mg/dL or greater
  3. Diabetics 40-75 years old with LDL-C of 70-189 mg/dl
  4. Individuals, 40-75, without clinical ASCVD or diabetes with a LDL of 70-189 mg/dL, but an estimated absolute 10-year risk of ASCVD (nonfatal MI, CHD death, nonfatal and fatal stroke).  The risk should be estimated using what they call Pooled Cohort Equations.  Here’s a link to the downloadable risk calculator.

What are the Treatment Recommendations?

 If the individual is a candidate for statin therapy by being in one of the four groups described above, then they should be treated with either a high- or moderate-intensity statin regimen.  The high dose regimen is defined as the daily dose that will lower LDL-C by 50% or more; moderate is the dose that lowers LDL-C by 30-<50%.

People 75 years old and above with clinical ascvd, those with LDL-C 190 mg/dL or greater, and those with diabetes and an estimated 10 year ASCVD risk > 7.5% should be treated with a high-intensity regimen.  Everyone else should get a moderate intensity regimen.  Individuals who are unable to tolerate or not candidates for high dose regimens should be treated with the moderate intensity dosing and those individuals, 40-75, without ASCVD, LDL-C 190 or greater,  or diabetes will be treated with either a moderate or high intensity statin regimen.

The guideline points out that people with class II or IV heart failure or those on hemodialysis are unlikely to benefit from statin therapy despite being at high risk for ASCVD.

Treat to Target?

 Prior guidelines have emphasized the need to treat to target leading to escalating doses and multi-drug regimens.  The Expert panel says there are three problems with this approach:

  1. Current clinical trial data do not indicate what the target should be
  2. We don’t know mow much additional risk reduction could be achieved with a lower target compared to another target
  3. The treat to target strategy did not take potential adverse effects of these more intensive regimens into account.

The Panel states that treating according to the level of ASCVD risk using moderate or high intensity therapy  takes into account both the benefits of ASCVD risk reduction and the adverse effects of statin treatment based on a huge body of RCT evidence.  It is also simpler to implement.

How to Get the Guideline

The guideline can be found on the AHA website and it is certainly worth reading cover to cover.  There is likely to be a lot of discussion about these recommendations, particularly the one to treat based on risk group rather than treat to target.  And, it is likely to take a while before clinicians fully embrace these new recommendations and put them into practice.   But it is refreshing to know that many many experts in the subject have reviewed, discussed and debated the literature and placed the results before us in the form of this guideline.  Evidence rules (I hope)!

(Photo: SPL/Photo Researchers, Inc.)

TAGGED:cholesterol
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

botox certification
Help Improve People’s Skin Health Via Botox Certification
Skin Specialties
July 22, 2025
Telemedicine Apps
Why Custom Telemedicine Apps Outperform Off‑the‑Shelf Solutions
Health
July 20, 2025
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
Global Healthcare Policy & Law
July 17, 2025
paramedics in surgical gloves and masks
How Health Choices and Legal Actions Intersect After an Injury
Health care
July 16, 2025

You Might also Like

Economies of Scale Enable Mumbai-Based Laboratory to Be Market Leader

January 10, 2014

Effective Healthcare Requires a Social Approach

June 15, 2015
Policy & Law

Women’s Wellness Provisions Help Survivors of Domestic Violence

October 28, 2012

Report: Avoidable ‘Never Events’ Increase in Minnesota Hospitals

January 20, 2012
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?