Adult Treatment Panel III: do we really need another set of cholesterol guidelines?

Reducing high levels of plasma low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is still the primary focus of the Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) guidelines developed by the National Cholesterol Education Program. The LDL-C goal of less than 100 mg/dL for those with coronary heart disease (CHD) is now extended to patients with diabetes and those with a Framingham risk score of greater than 20% in 10 years, both of which are now considered "CHD risk equivalents." Consequently, many more people will be considered candidates for aggressive lipid-lowering therapy under the new ATP III guidelines. Other prominent features in the new guidelines include determining an individual's absolute risk category by using a nine-step process, instituting therapeutic lifestyle changes to reduce LDL-C levels, and strategies for treating patients with other forms of dyslipidemia such as metabolic syndrome.