Check.Change.Control.Cholesterol

Please listen as Drs. Pradeep, Blankenstein, and Nasir discuss the changes in 2018 cholesterol guidelines specifically as they pertain to the focus specifically on the role of statins for cardiovascular disease prevention as well as new incorporation of some non-statin cholesterol-lowering medications in these new guidelines, and shift that changed from targeting predominantly LDL targets to focusing instead on making decisions based on absolute risk.

Please listen as Drs. Pradeep, Blankenstein, and Nasir discuss the changes in 2018 guidelines compared to the 2013 guidelines, specifically with respect to coronary artery calcium scoring, the increased focus on having a risk discussion between patients and clinicians in order to decide on the role of therapy, and the emphases on the role of calcium testing as a guide to flexible choices of statin therapy, rather than as a screening tool.

Drs. Kiran Musunuru and Jane Ferguson discuss PCSK9, the gene and the protein its direct relationship with cholesterol and specifically, LDL cholesterol, as well as the direct relationship between how much PCSK9 protein there is in the blood and how great the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Heart disease is still the number one leading cause of death in the United States as well as around the world. Drs. Kiran Musunuru and Jane Ferguson discuss andreview new discoveries in cholesterol metabolism, and how these discoveries aid in the management of patients at risk, or with high cholesterol.

The ASCVD Risk Calculator is a tool that enables healthcare providers and patients to estimate 10-year risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease or ASCVD. Salim Virani, MD discusses the ASCVD risk calculator and why this assessment needs to be performed in patients with diabetes.

Familial Hypercholesterolemia, the defect that leads to high LDL levels in the blood, has an overall prevalence of about 1 in 250. Laxmi Mehta, MD and Carl Orringer, MD discuss the 2018 Cholesterol Guidelines and how Familiar Hypercholesterolemia fall into the guidelines.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for women in the US and worldwide. Laxmi Mehta, MD, Lynne Braun, PhD, and Gina Lundberg, MD discuss some of the women specific factors included int the cholesterol guidelines, such as rheumatologic disorders, systemic lupus, and erythematosus, as well as conditions unique to women such as pregnancy complications.

The purpose of the Cholesterol Guidelines is to address the clinical management of blood cholesterol and related disorders. Pradeep Natarajan, MD discusses the important new changes in the 2018 Cholesterol Guidelines and compares them to the 2013 Cholesterol Guidelines.