Lipid management program: results of applying national guidelines in a private practice

In our large single-specialty cardiology practice, we implemented a lipid management program based on the recommendations of the Expert Panel of the National Cholesterol Education Program and the Helsinki Heart Study. This program used allied health professionals and customized computer software to deliver efficient, comprehensive care to the 1214 patients enrolled in the program after 33 months. Data are reported for the 543 patients enrolled for more than 1 year. Cholesterol data were analyzed for all patients whose initial triglyceride values were less than 400 mg/dL. For this group of patients, the mean cholesterol level decreased from 242.7 to 217.4 mg/dL, triglycerides fell from 170.0 to 144.7 mg/dL, HDL cholesterol increased from 41.6 to 42.9 mg/dL, and LDL cholesterol fell from 167.2 to 145.7 mg/dL. Using guidelines modified from the National Cholesterol Education Program, a significant number of patients were able to achieve desirable LDL and HDL goals. Modified national guidelines can be used effectively in a private practice setting.