New ACC and AHA guidelines could increase sales of statins

New clinical guidelines have been published for the treatment of cholesterol in people at high risk of cardiovascular disease by the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA).

These guidelines identify four groups of patients for whom cholesterol-lowering HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, or statins, have the greatest chance of preventing stroke and heart attacks. The guideline also emphasizes the importance of adopting a heart-healthy lifestyle to prevent and control high blood cholesterol.

Neil Stone, chairman of the expert panel that wrote the new guideline, said: “The new guideline uses the highest quality scientific evidence to focus treatment of blood cholesterol on those likely to benefit most. This guideline represents a departure from previous guidelines because it doesn’t focus on specific target levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, commonly known as LDL, or ‘bad cholesterol,’ although the definition of optimal LDL cholesterol has not changed. Instead, it focuses on defining groups for whom LDL lowering is proven to be most beneficial.”