Harvard Health Letter Unravels New Cholesterol Guidelines
Thursday September 2, 4:28 pm ET
Source: Yahoo News
Press Release
Source: Harvard Health Publications
BOSTON, Sept. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- A federal panel of experts (8 of 9 paid by the Pharmaceuticals, statins producers - Editor's note) released cholesterol guidelines revisions in July. The overall message on "bad" LDL cholesterol is that lower is better and how low depends on your cardiovascular risk factors. The September issue of the Harvard Health Letter unravels the new guidelines and provides answers to the LDL-level discussion.
Currently, the average American LDL level is about 130. The new guidelines decrease the thresholds for prescribing cholesterol-lowering medications so that more people may be prescribed statins to meet LDL targets. The Health Letter notes that if recommended target LDL levels continue to decrease, cholesterol-lowering statin drugs will continue to become part of a daily routine for more and more people.
The September issue outlines target LDL levels based on risk. People in the Very High Risk have established cardiovascular disease and one of the following: * Multiple major risk factors for cardiovascular disease or metabolic syndrome * Severe and poorly controlled risk factors, especially smoking * A history of heart attack or unstable angina. * They should aim for an LDL of less than 70.People in the High Risk category have a history of heart disease or one of
the following:
* Diabetes
* Evidence of diseased blood vessels
* Two or more risk factors for heart disease.
* They should aim for an LDL of less than 100.Those in the Moderately High Risk category have:
* Two or more risk factors for heart disease that create a 10%-20% chance
of having a heart attack in the next 10 years.
* They should shoot for an LDL of less than 130, but their doctors should
have the "therapeutic option" to aim for less than 100.Those in the Moderate Risk category have:
* Two or more risk factors for heart disease that create less than a 10%
chance of having a heart attack in the next 10 years.
* They should aim for an LDL of less than 130.People in the Low risk category have:
* One or no risk factors for heart disease.
* They have an LDL goal of less than 160.
The Harvard Health Letter is available from Harvard Health Publications, the publishing division of Harvard Medical School. Subscribe at http://www.health.harvard.edu/health or by calling 1-877-649-9457.
You can subscribe to Harvard Health Letter for $28 per year at http://www.health.harvard.edu or by calling 1-877-649-9457 toll-free.
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Source: Harvard Health Publications
See also:
Cholesterol and the Pharmaceutical Industry's Biggest Secret
By Shane Ellison M.Sc. 2003 All Rights Reserved http://www.health-fx.net
Source: Oqey.com
http://www.laleva.org/eng/2004/09/cholesterol_and_the_pharmaceutical_industrys_biggest_secret.html
STATIN RECOMMENDERS' DRUGMAKER TIES
U.S. confirms panel link
Source: Newsday.com
- Eight of the nine members of the government panel that last week published new treatment guidelines calling for a wider use of statin drugs had ties to companies that manufacture the medications, a government Web site revealed yesterday.
http://www.laleva.org/eng/2004/07/pharmaceutical_fraud_and_corruption_statin_recommenders_drugmaker_ties.html
