NHLBI Clinical Practice Guidelines for Lowering Cholesterol - High Cholesterol Message Board

nfulmer · 10-08-2005, 04:17 PM

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) has established guidelines for the treatment and management of high cholesterol. These guidelines were put together by a panel of experts and are the standard of care in which the American Heart Association makes its recommendations for cholesterol management. The nhlbi guidelines look at cardiac risk factors in conjunction with cholesterol numbers. For example, my total cholesterol is 252, LDL 157, and HDL 62, but because I do not have ANY cardiac risk factors (I do not smoke, my blood pressure is normal, etc), my numbers are not that big of a concern. You can access a quick reference of these guidelines by going to the nhlbi website and clicking on "Heart/Vascular" and then on "information for health professionals" (listed on the left menu). Next click on "cholesterol", then on "ATP III AT-A-Glance: Quick Desk Reference". I urge anyone who has high cholesterol to read these guidelines before taking statins. Unfortunately, most physicians are not aquainted with the guidelines.

Brendap · 10-08-2005, 05:42 PM

Thanks for the directions to that quick reference guide. I downloaded the pdf file and find it very interesting.

Brenda

NHone · 10-09-2005, 01:39 AM

The National Education Program (NCEP) has indeed issued an update to the thrid Adult Treatment Panel (ATP III). Six of the nine panelists had either received grants from or were paid consulting or speakers' fees by some of the following companies Pfizer (lipitor), Bristol-Myers Squibb (Pravachol), Merck (Me****r) and AstraZeneca (crestor).

nfulmer · 10-09-2005, 05:28 AM

Regardless if consulting or speaker fees were paid, the guidelines show that cardiac risk factors play a huge role in the development of heart disease, and cholesterol alone does not. The guidelines state that higher cholesterol numbers are not always an indication for statins. What would the makers of lipitor, etc., have to gain from this? It is the physicians who are prescribing these drugs who are paid by the drug companies. The drug reps take them out to fine restuarants and play golf with them. I am a health care professional and I know this for a fact. The ATP III guidelines are the standard of care for the management of cholesterol and as such should be followed.

Moxie75 · 10-09-2005, 05:34 AM

I think you should have your CRP and homocysteine checked before determining that you are ok with cholesterol levels being that high..Lisa