What You Need to Know About the New Cholesterol Guidelines

In late 2013, after an extensive review of the evidence, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute updated cholesterol guidelines. Why did they do this? These new guidelines better identify those at risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), and also better diagnose people who already have ASCVD. Patients who have ASCVD are more likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke.

To determine if someone is at risk of developing ASCVD a risk estimator is available through Cardio Source. Information including Systolic Blood Pressure, a patient’s race, HDL Cholesterol and more are entered.

Depending on the level of risk, patients should take different courses of action. For all patients who are determined to be at risk for ASCVD, there are behavioral modifications they should implement. These include: eating a heart-healthy diet, regularly exercising, avoiding tobacco products and maintaining a healthy weight.

For lower risk individuals, there are other items to take into account whether they are likely to develop ASCVD. These include a family history of premature ASCVD, LDL greater than 160, high sensitivity C-reactive protein, Coronary calcium score and Ankle/brachial index.

For those with a high likelihood of developing ASCVD and for those individuals who already have ASCVD, statins should be taken. The guidelines have also been updated. There are non-statin medications also available for those patients unable to take statins (due to side effects or drug interactions). Talk with your doctor to determine which medicine is best for you.