Clinical Practice Guidelines and Recommendations
A Perspective on the New American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Guidelines for Cardiovascular Risk Assessment
The recently published American College of Cardiology (ACC)/American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines for cardiovascular risk assessment provide equations to estimate the 10-year and lifetime atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk in African Americans and non-Hispanic whites, include stroke as an adverse cardiovascular outcome, and emphasize shared decision making. The guidelines provide a valuable framework that can be adapted on the basis of clinical judgment and individual/institutional expertise.New American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology Guidelines on Cardiovascular Risk: When Will Fitness Get the Recognition It Deserves?
During the American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions in November 2013, the AHA and the American College of Cardiology (ACC) jointly released new guidelines for the prevention and treatment of coronary artery disease (CAD). The guidelines focused on the assessment of cardiovascular risk1 and the treatment of blood lipids2 and received a great deal of attention from both the media and professional journals. These organizations are among the most experienced and qualified to develop guidelines, and their guidelines and scientific statements set the standard for clinical practice.
