Guidelines for cardiovascular risk assessment and cholesterol treatment

摘要

As the chairs of the 2013 guideline panels on risk assessment and cholesterol treatment, we would like to clarify some statements made in 3 Viewpoint articles and correct some misinterpretations or incorrect assumptions.Drs Psaty and Weiss reviewed the evolution of recommendations on cholesterol-lowering treatment over the last several decades. They correctly emphasized aspects of the rigorous process the panels undertook with the new guidelines and reinforced the message that the purpose of risk assessment in primary prevention is to identify individuals who should undergo a "... discussion of risks, benefits, and patient preferences before starting drug therapy," rather than to mandate a statin prescription.