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Review
. 2014 May;6(5):191-8.
doi: 10.4103/1947-2714.132916.

Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk and Evidence-based Management of Cholesterol

Satyajeet Roy  1
Affiliations
Review

Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk and Evidence-based Management of Cholesterol

Satyajeet Roy. N Am J Med Sci. 2014 May.

Abstract

An elevated level of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol is directly associated with development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, which may present as coronary heart disease, stroke, and peripheral arterial disease. The new cholesterol management guidelines from the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association aim to address a comprehensive approach to prevent and reduce the risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The new guidelines recommend initiation of heart healthy lifestyle modifications and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme-A reductase inhibitor ("statin") therapy in individuals who are at a high risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. It is estimated that these guidelines could result in "statin" therapy for one in every three adults in the United States. This article presents a review of the current cholesterol management guidelines, recommendations from relevant randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses obtained from the searches in Medline/PubMed and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and publications from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service, and the United States Preventive Services Task Force.

Keywords: Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease; cholesterol management; statin.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow Diagram of Cholesterol Management. (ASCVD = Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease; LDL-C = Low-density Lipoprotein Cholesterol; DM = Diabetes Mellitus; MIST = Moderateintensity statin therapy; HIST = High-intensity statin therapy; M-HIST = Moderate to high-intensity statin therapy.) * See Table 4.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Suggested Steps to Manage Cholesterol. (ASCVD = Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, LDL-C = Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, DM = Diabetes mellitus, HIST = High-intensity statin therapy, MIST = Moderate-intensity statin therapy, HD = Hemodialysis, NYHA = New York Heart Association.) Information from reference 3.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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