Clinical Practice Guidelines and Recommendations
High-Intensity Statins Benefit High-Risk Patients: Why and How to Do Better
Review of the US and European literature indicates that most patients at high risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD are not treated with high-intensity statins, despite strong clinical-trial evidence of maximal statin benefit. High-intensity statins are recommended for 2 categories of patients: those with ASCVD (secondary prevention) and high-risk patients without clinical ASCVD. Most patients with ASCVD are candidates for high-intensity statins, with a goal for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol reduction of 50% or greater.Pathways Forward in Cardiovascular Disease Prevention One and a Half Years After Publication of the 2013 ACC/AHA Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Guidelines
The 2013 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association cardiovascular disease prevention guidelines represent an important step forward in the risk assessment and management of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in clinical practice. Differentiated risk prediction equations for women and black individuals were developed, and convenient 10-year and lifetime risk assessment tools were provided, facilitating their implementation. Lifestyle modification was portrayed as the foundation of preventive therapy.A Summary and Critical Assessment of the 2013 ACC/AHA Guideline on the Treatment of Blood Cholesterol to Reduce Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Adults: Filling the Gaps
The American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) Task Force on Practice Guidelines has recently released the new cholesterol treatment guideline. This update was based on a systematic review of the evidence and replaces the previous guidelines from 2002 that were widely accepted and implemented in clinical practice. The new cholesterol treatment guideline emphasizes matching the intensity of statin treatment to the level of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk and replaces the old paradigm of pursuing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol targets.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.Lipid-Lowering Therapy in Patients With Peripheral Arterial Disease: Are Guidelines Being Met?
To determine the proportion of patients with lower extremity peripheral arterial disease (PAD) who reach recommended low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels (<100 mg/dL) and to identify the patient characteristics that are independently associated with attaining the LDL-C goal (<100 mg/dL).
