A Latin American perspective on the new ACC/AHA clinical guidelines for managing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease

Abstract

Atherosclerotic heart disease and stroke are leading causes of disability and death worldwide, affecting not only developed countries, but also low- and middle-income regions. Different strategies for handling dyslipidemia as a critical pathogenic risk factor for atherosclerosis have been proposed. However, these recommendations are not applied at all in many countries or even in whole regions of the world. Recently, new US guidelines on risk assessment, lifestyle changes, and high blood cholesterol level treatment to manage atherosclerotic disease were released. In this article, we analyze these new guidelines and discuss their potential applications in preventive cardiovascular medicine in Latin America.