Hypercholesterolemia. The NCEP Adult Treatment Panel III Guidelines

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in older patients. Therefore, its treatment and prevention is vital to improving the length and quality of life for the geriatric population at large. Clinical trial data have demonstrated that patients age 65 and older derive the same benefit from blood cholesterol reduction as younger adults. As a result, the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) recommends appropriate therapeutic lifestyle changes and drug therapy for older individuals with established CHD or for those at high risk for CHD. Drug therapy in this population, while safe, requires careful monitoring and dose adjustment due to potentially altered drug metabolism and concomitant medications. These factors lead to use of lower starting doses of lipid-lowering medications in older patients. Prudent individualized evaluation and customized therapy provide optimal cardiovascular outcomes.