Current Controversies With Recent Cholesterol Treatment Guidelines

Several guidelines and expert recommendations have been published recently regarding the prevention and treatment of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk. The American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) guidelines recommend a drastic paradigm change in the treatment of cholesterol where treatment, based on level of cardiovascular risk, is based around using a fixed statin intensity therapy. This approach is endorsed by the American Diabetes Association. However, recommendations by the National Lipid Association (NLA) consist of the traditional approach of titrating therapy to achieve patient-specific lipoprotein targets. Despite the differences in overall approaches, the use of statin therapy as the cornerstone of treatment to reduce risk of cardiovascular events in at risk patients is a strong common theme. Clinicians should be aware of these differences, as they represent controversies with the overall treatment of ASCVD risk. Additional controversies related to the treatment of patients with ASCVD risk pertain to the role of nonstatin drugs and approaches to managing side effects. These topics are reviewed within this article and discuss implications for patient care.