Cardiovascular risk assessment and lipid modification: NICE guideline.

Abstract

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has updated its guidance on cardiovascular risk assessment and the modification of blood lipids for the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD).1 This article discusses the main recommendations and the implications of the update for general practice. New evidence on risk assessment tools and on statins and reduction in the cost of statins has resulted in significant changes to the level of risk at which treatment is recommended, and on the choice and dose of statins. The new guideline also incorporates guidance on lipid modification for people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes and with chronic kidney disease (CKD). See Box 1 for a summary of the main points of the revised lipid-modification guideline. Box 1. ### Summary of the updated NICE lipid-modification guideline Identifying high risk systematically