title: Current Controversies With Recent Cholesterol Treatment Guidelines.
abstract: Several guidelines and expert recommendations have been published recently regarding the prevention and treatment of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk. The American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) guidelines recommend a drastic paradigm change in the treatment of cholesterol where treatment, based on level of cardiovascular risk, is based around using a fixed statin intensity therapy. This approach is endorsed by the American Diabetes Association. However, recommendations by the National Lipid Association (NLA) consist of the traditional approach of titrating therapy to achieve patient-specific lipoprotein targets. Despite the differences in overall approaches, the use of statin therapy as the cornerstone of treatment to reduce risk of cardiovascular events in at risk patients is a strong common theme. Clinicians should be aware of these differences, as they represent controversies with the overall treatment of ASCVD risk. Additional controversies related to the treatment of patients with ASCVD risk pertain to the role of nonstatin drugs and approaches to managing side effects. These topics are reviewed within this article and discuss implications for patient care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy Practice, Wegmans School of Pharmacy, St. John Fisher College, Rochester, NY, USA Department of Medicine, Section of Clinical Pharmacology, SUNY-Upstate Medical University, Aurora, CO, USA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Skaggs School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA Department of Family Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, USA joseph.saseen@ucdenver.edu.
authors.forename: Joseph J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Saseen
mesh_terms: D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic / Q000592:standards*; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors
keywords: ASCVD; atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk; cholesterol; controversy; dyslipidemia; guidelines; statins