Adult treatment panel III and the management of dyslipidemia risk factors

Abstract

The new treatment guidelines issued by the Third National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III depart from the recommendations of the previous edition, the ATP II, in a number of significant ways. Perhaps the most significant are the lowering of the target level of low-density lipoprotein to <100 mg/dL and the introduction of the coronary heart disease risk equivalent. As a result, many more individuals have been identified as requiring intervention, and others will require more aggressive modalities, including cholesterol lowering pharmacotherapy.