Anticipating the evolution of clinical cholesterol guidelines: implications of recent statin intervention trials.
Over the past two decades, statin-based intervention trials have conclusively shown that lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) prevents cardiovascular disease and death. In response to these trials, the National Cholesterol Education Program has established and refined LDL-C goals in its Adult Treatment Panel (ATP) guidelines. In response to five new statin trials, the 2004 update to ATP III called for more aggressive lowering of LDL-C. Subsequent to the ATP III update, three large-scale statin trials have been published with implications for the management of cholesterol. Review of these recent trials indicates that improved methods of risk stratification and intensification of LDL-C goals are trends which are likely to continue into the future.
Atherosclerosis Research Center, Long Beach VAHCS, 5901 East Seventh Street, Mailstop 11-111I, Long Beach, CA 90822, USA. daniel.meyers@med.va.gov
Charles Daniel
CD
Meyers
Nathan
N
Wong
Moti L
ML
Kashyap