National Cholesterol Education Program: Adult Treatment Panel III--new recommendations for lifestyle and medical management of dyslipidemia.
In the 1990s a number of randomized controlled trials provided compelling evidence for the importance of aggressively managing hypercholesterolemia. Control of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol reduces cardiac events and stroke in at risk individuals without known cardiac disease and in patients with coronary heart disease. The National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel has published 3 sets of guidelines. The most recent expanded definitions of those at risk by defining new risk categories and increased the numbers of persons who could benefit from more intensive cholesterol-lowering. These new definitions moved millions of people into more intensive treatment categories compared to previously published guidelines. This article focuses on the latest National Cholesterol Education Program guidelines for identification and treatment of persons with or at risk for coronary heart disease.
Berra
Kathy
K
Stanford Center for Research in Disease Prevention, Stanford, Calif, USA. kberra@stanford.edu
Klieman
Linda
L
D000328:Adult; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000592:standards*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic / Q000592:standards*; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D014481:United States