Q) I’m still confused by the change in approach to use of statin therapy for cardiovascular disease. How do I determine which patients need statins?
Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is the leading cause of death in adults in the United States.1 Statins have long been recommended in the management of individuals with ASCVD.
Historically, statin use was guided by an LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) target, per the Adult Treatment Panel (ATP III) guidelines. Therapy was intensified based on whether patients met these targets. Newer guidelines from the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology (AHA/ACC) base statin therapy not on an LDL-C number but rather on risk stratification that considers several factors.1-3
Continue to: The AHA/ACC guidelines classify statins as...