Evidence-based update of the ATP III guidelines on treatment of high blood cholesterol: Salient features
Ramírez-Vick, M.
Boletin de la Asociacion Medica de Puerto Rico 97(1): 37-43
2005
ISSN/ISBN: 0004-4849 Document Number: 703032
In May 2001, the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) published an Executive Summary of the Third Report of the expert panel on Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (Adult Treatment Panel III, or ATP III), which was published in full on December, 2002. This provided an updated, evidence-based clinical recommendations on the management of high blood cholesterol. More recently, on July 2004, another report from the NCEP was published providing new information regarding five recent large clinical trials with statin therapy and assessing their implications for cholesterol management. This updated clinical guidelines regrouped the risk categories of the ATP III and classified them into high, moderate and low risk groups. A new LDL cholesterol goal has been set to<70 mg/dl as a therapeutic option for very high risk patients, although the goal of LDL<100mg/dl is retained as a strong recommendation. Another added modification to the previously reported guidelines has been the consideration of setting a lower LDL cholesterol goal of<100mg/d1 in the moderate risk group, if other significant secondary risk factors are present. Therapeutic lifestyle changes remain an essential modality in clinical management, and must be emphasized in the higher risk categories regardless of LDL cholesterol level. This summary will review the clinical guidelines developed by the ATP III and the implications of the recent clinical trials on these recommendations, as reported in the NCEP Report.
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