What is the latest ACC/AHA guideline on statin therapy?
The 2013 ACC/AHA Guideline on the Treatment of Blood Cholesterol to Reduce Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Risk in Adults is the latest guideline for statin therapy. This guideline shifts focus away from specific LDL cholesterol targets and calls for estimating the 10-year risk for atherosclerotic CVD and, based on the estimated risk, prescribing a statin at low, moderate, or high intensity. The intensity of statin therapy depends on the drug and the dose. For example, lovastatin at 20 mg/d is considered low-intensity therapy, and lovastatin at 40 mg/d is considered moderate-intensity therapy. Atorvastatin at 10 mg/d is considered moderate-intensity therapy, and atorvastatin at 80 mg/d is considered high-intensity therapy. A cardiovascular risk calculator to assist in estimating 10-year risk can be found online at http://my.americanheart.org/cvriskcalculator.