Dyslipidemia: How Low Should We Go? A Review of Current Lipid Guidelines

Dyslipidemia is a major contributor to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and its management is crucial to reducing cardiovascular risk. After years of following the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III guidelines for the assessment and management of hypercholesterolemia, clinicians are now faced with new guidelines that are vastly different in several ways. Poor understanding leads to nonadherence by clinicians and patients. This article provides physician assistants with the information needed to make appropriate clinical decisions based on the latest evidence-based lipid management guidelines.