{"id":531896,"date":"2026-03-19T01:39:13","date_gmt":"2026-03-19T01:39:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/531896\/"},"modified":"2026-03-19T01:39:13","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T01:39:13","slug":"new-guidelines-on-cholesterol-management-experts-explain-the-updates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/531896\/","title":{"rendered":"New guidelines on cholesterol management: Experts explain the updates"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"handsIn an updated set of guidelines, the AHA and ACA advise more aggressive cholesterol management and earlier intervention. Image credit: Riza Azhari\/Getty Images
This article originally appeared on Medical News Today<\/a><\/p>\n

Dyslipidemia is a condition that occurs when the body\u2019s blood lipids, or fats, are unbalanced.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The most common type of dyslipidemia is high cholesterol, which is attributable to about 4.4 million deaths every year.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Recently, the American Heart Association (AHA) and American College of Cardiology (ACC) announced the publishing of updated guidelines for doctors for the management of dyslipidemia.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The guidelines place an emphasis on earlier intervention through healthy lifestyle choices.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Dyslipidemia<\/a> is a cardiovascular-related condition that occurs when the body\u2019s blood lipids, or fats, are unbalanced.<\/p>\n

The most common type of dyslipidemia is hypercholesterolemia<\/a>, which is the medical term for high cholesterol<\/a>. Typically linked to high levels of \u201cbad cholesterol,\u201d low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C)<\/a>, researchers estimate that high cholesterol is attributable to about 4.4 million deaths<\/a> every year.<\/p>\n

Past research shows that people with dyslipidemia are at an increased risk for several cardiovascular conditions, including high blood pressure<\/a>, heart attack<\/a>, stroke, peripheral artery disease<\/a>, atherosclerosis<\/a>, and coronary artery disease<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Dyslipidemia can also heighten a person\u2019s chance of developing type 2 diabetes<\/a>, pancreatitis<\/a>, and chronic kidney disease<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Recently, the American Heart Association (AHA) and American College of Cardiology (ACC) announced the publishing of updated guidelines for doctors for the management of dyslipidemia.<\/p>\n

The new recommendations \u2014 which appear in the journal Circulation<\/a> \u2014 include a more contemporary cardiovascular disease risk calculator to help estimate heart attack and stroke risk, the use of additional tests to improve cardiovascular risk assessment, treatment options for hypertriglyceridemia<\/a>, and a focus on earlier intervention through healthy lifestyle changes.<\/p>\n

Medical News Today spoke with six heart health specialists to find out more about the recommendations and what everyone should know about the updates.<\/p>\n

What is dyslipidemia?<\/p>\n

According to Rodrigo Mendirichaga Magana<\/a>, MD, FACC, FSCAI, interventional cardiologist, director of the Anticoagulation Clinic, and director of cardiac rehabilitation at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital, a Mass General Brigham community hospital, dyslipidemia is the broader term doctors use to describe any abnormality in the lipids, or fats, circulating in the blood.<\/p>\n

Magana was not involved in the drafting of the updated guidelines.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt includes high levels of LDL (the \u2018bad\u2019 cholesterol that builds up in artery walls), low levels of HDL<\/a> (the \u2018good\u2019 cholesterol that helps clear that buildup), and elevated triglycerides<\/a>, which are another type of fat in the blood,\u201d he explained to MNT.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy does it matter? Because when these lipids are out of balance, they gradually deposit in the walls of your arteries, forming plaque,\u201d he told us.<\/p>\n

\u201cOver time, that plaque narrows the arteries and can rupture, triggering a heart attack or stroke,\u201d he continued. \u201cThe problem is that dyslipidemia is largely silent and most people have no symptoms whatsoever until something serious happens.\u201c<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s exactly why these guidelines are so important: they help us find and address the problem long before it becomes a crisis,\u201d\u00a0said Magana.<\/p>\n

5 pillars for high cholesterol prevention<\/p>\n

One of the main focuses of the updated dyslipidemia guidelines is on earlier intervention through healthy lifestyle changes.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe most powerful tools for protecting your heart are things you can start today with no prescription required,\u201d Magana said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe guidelines emphasize five pillars: a heart-healthy diet<\/a>, regular physical activity, avoiding tobacco<\/a>, quality sleep<\/a>, and maintaining a healthy weight<\/a>. In practice, that means choosing whole foods over ultra-processed<\/a> ones, aiming for at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week, and treating sleep as the health priority it truly is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2013 Rodrigo Mendirichaga Magana, MD, FACC, FSCAI<\/p>\n

\u201cThe biggest message is that small, consistent habits matter,\u201d added Heather Johnson<\/a>, MD, director of preventive cardiology for women\u2019s services at Lynn Women\u2019s Health & Wellness Institute, part of Baptist Health South Florida, who was also on the writing committee for the updated guidelines.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat helps most is making small changes with a focus on a balanced diet, which makes it easier to maintain long term,\u201c Johnson advised. \u201cHeart risk is shaped by what we do consistently, not just what we do for a week or two. The guideline strongly emphasizes earlier lifestyle-based prevention across the lifespan, not just treatment after disease appears.\u201d<\/p>\n

PREVENT calculator: What it is, how it aids heart disease prevention<\/p>\n

Another recommendation in the updated guidelines is the use of the more contemporary cardiovascular disease risk calculator \u2014 Predicting Risk of Cardiovascular Disease EVENTs (PREVENT)<\/a> \u2014 to help estimate heart attack and stroke risk and guide therapy.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis matters because cardiovascular disease risk calculators help to guide real-world treatment decisions. The goal is earlier LDL-C reduction for heart disease prevention. PREVENT is a newer tool designed to give a more contemporary estimate of cardiovascular risk. The Dyslipidemia Guidelines encourage its use to help clinicians and patients decide when lifestyle change alone may be enough and when medication should be added sooner.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2013 Heather Johnson, MD<\/p>\n

For consumers, Johnson said that means a more individualized conversation \u2014 not just \u201cWhat is your cholesterol number?\u201d but \u201cWhat is your overall risk, and should we act earlier to lower it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe PREVENT equation also offers 10-year and 30-year risk estimates to support heart disease risk discussions in individuals as young as 30 years old,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

Call for the use of additional tests: CAC, Lp(a), and ApoB<\/p>\n

Part of the new guidelines calls for the use of three additional tests, when appropriate, to help improve cardiovascular risk assessment and gauge whether or not more intense LDL-C lowering strategies are required.<\/p>\n

\u201cA CAC (non-contrast coronary artery calcium) scan<\/a> is a quick CT scan<\/a> that looks for existing plaque buildup in your heart\u2019s arteries, telling us if damage is already present,\u201d Nathaniel Lebowitz<\/a>, MD, a cardiologist at Hackensack University Medical Center, who was not involved in the drafting of the updated guidelines, explained to MNT.<\/p>\n

Lebowitz detailed:<\/p>\n

\u201cLipoprotein(a)<\/a>, or Lp(a), is a one-time blood test that checks for a genetic, \u2018sticky\u2019 type of cholesterol that doesn\u2019t improve with lifestyle changes. International guidelines are increasingly recommending this test for all adults. [And] apolipoprotein B<\/a> (ApoB) counts all the bad, artery-clogging particles in your blood, giving us a more accurate measure of risk than a standard LDL number alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThese tests provide additional insight into heart disease risk beyond standard cholesterol panels,\u201d added Kevin Shah<\/a>, MD, a board-certified cardiologist and Program Director of Heart Failure Outreach at MemorialCare Heart & Vascular Institute at Long Beach Medical Center in Long Beach, CA, likewise not involved in the drafting of the updated guidelines.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor example, a coronary artery calcium scan can directly detect early plaque in the arteries while blood tests including lipoprotein(a) and apolipoprotein B can identify individuals with elevated genetic or particle-related risk. These additional tools can help us counsel patients regarding their long-term risk and what can be done now to lower their risk of heart attack or stroke,\u201d said Shah.<\/p>\n

Treatment options for hypertriglyceridemia<\/p>\n

Another area of focus for the updated guidelines are treatment options for a dyslipidemia condition called hypertriglyceridemia.<\/p>\n

\u201cTriglycerides are fat in the blood and are made from simple carbohydrates,\u201d Yu-Ming Ni<\/a>, MD, a board-certified cardiologist and lipidologist at MemorialCare Heart and Vascular Institute at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA, not involved in the drafting of the updated guidelines, explained to MNT.<\/p>\n

\u201cHigh triglycerides are associated with higher risk for heart disease. We consider high triglycerides to be a risk enhancing factor, so that if some has hypertriglyceridemia, we may be more inclined to be more aggressive in their treatment plan to lower their risk for heart disease,\u201d Ni said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cRarely, very high triglycerides indicate a genetic or multifactor acquired condition that makes it hard for the body to process triglycerides, and the risk for pancreatitis becomes elevated,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause pancreatitis is a dangerous illness to have and can lead to major complications that can be life-threatening, sometimes we will prioritize triglyceride lowering to reduce short term risk for pancreatitis, while still managing the long-term risk for heart disease,\u201d\u00a0Ni added.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a new class of treatments that significantly reduces triglycerides in these patients, these medicines include olezarsen<\/a> and plozasiran<\/a>,\u201d said Ni. \u201cTalk to your doctor if you have very high triglycerides,> 500 mg\/dL, and are interested in these medications.\u201d<\/p>\n

Acknowledging that high cholesterol can begin early in life<\/p>\n

And the updated guidelines also note the fact that high cholesterol can happen earlier in life and impact heart disease risk, especially for children at risk for high cholesterol due to genetics or unhealthy lifestyle habits.<\/p>\n

The guidelines recommend cholesterol screening for all children ages 9 to 11 years old.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis recommendation reflects growing evidence that atherosclerosis begins early in life and that elevated cholesterol in childhood can track into adulthood,\u201d Kaavya Paruchuri<\/a>, MD, clinical operations director for cardiovascular medicine and director of the Lipid Apheresis Unit at Mass General Health, who was also not involved in the drafting of the updated guidelines, told MNT.<\/p>\n

\u201cUniversal screening at ages 9\u201311 helps identify conditions like familial hypercholesterolemia<\/a>, as well as lifestyle-related lipid abnormalities before symptoms develop,\u201d Paruchuri added.<\/p>\n

\u201cDetecting these issues early allows for timely lifestyle changes and, in some cases, medication, which can substantially reduce lifetime cardiovascular risk,\u201d she noted. \u201cIn short, it shifts prevention upstream by identifying and addressing risk decades before clinical disease appears.\u201d<\/p>\n

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