NLA Endorses Newly Published 2022 ACC Expert Consensus Decision Pathway on the Role of Nonstatin Therapies for LDL-Cholesterol Lowering in the Management of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk

Jacksonville, Florida - (August 25, 2022) - The American College of Cardiology (ACC) announced the release of the 2022 ACC Expert Consensus Decision Pathway on the Role of Nonstatin Therapies for LDL-Cholesterol Lowering in the Management of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk: A Report of the American College of Cardiology Solution Set Oversight Committee. The new Expert Consensus Decision Pathway provides practical guidance for lowering LDL-C with nonstatin therapies.

Christie M. Ballantyne, MD, FACC, FNLA, co-author, National Lipid Association (NLA) Executive Committee member, Chief, Section of Cardiology and Professor of Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine comments:

The new 2022 ACC Expert Consensus Decision Pathway on the Role of Nonstatin Therapies for LDL-Cholesterol Lowering in the Management of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk provides guidance to clinicians on the role of nonstatin therapy in both primary and secondary prevention along with guidance on treatment of patients with elevated calcium scores and statin intolerance. Key points for secondary prevention in patients with ASCVD: consider addition of  nonstatin therapy to maximally tolerated statin for LDL-C greater than or equal to 55 mg/dL in very high risk patients and greater than or equal to 70 md/dL in those who are not at very high risk. Expert pathways are developed to provide guidance as data evolve with new therapies while awaiting definitive outcome studies for new guidelines.

The NLA, the sole endorser of the new Expect Consensus Decision Pathway document and partner on the 2018 AHA/ACC/AACVPR/AAPA/ABC/ACPM/ADA/AGS/APhA/ASPC/NLA/PCNA Guideline on the Management of Blood Cholesterol: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines, is excited about the guidance provided by the ACC writing group and the opportunity for the NLA to provide additional direction to its membership and the interested members of the lipid community.

Kevin C. Maki, PhD, CLS, FNLA, President of the NLA, President and Chief Scientist, Midwest Biomedical Research (Addison, IL & Bonita Springs, FL), and Adjunct Professor, Dean’s Eminent Scholar, Indiana University School of Public Health (Bloomington, IN) adds:

Since the publication of the 2018 AHA/ACC/Multisociety cholesterol guidelines, several additional nonstatin agents have become available for the management of elevated levels LDL-cholesterol to lower atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk.  The American College of Cardiology Expert Consensus Decision Pathway, which was released today, provides important and practical guidance to assist clinicians and patients regarding the use of nonstatin agents for ASCVD risk reduction. The NLA is proud to have had several prominent members participate on the writing committee and to endorse the report.

Read the Expert Consensus Decision Pathway