New ACC/AHA Prevention Guidelines: Building a Bridge to Even Stronger Guideline Collaborations

Abstract

John Gordon Harold, MD, FAHA, MACC President, American College of Cardiology Mariell Jessup, MD, FACC, FAHA President, American Heart Association This past month, the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA), in collaboration with the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and other specialty societies, released 4 long-awaited guidelines focused on the assessment of cardiovascular risk, lifestyle modifications to reduce cardiovascular risk, and management of elevated blood cholesterol and body weight in adults. A fifth guideline, which addresses hypertension, will be initiated by the AHA and ACC in the near future. These guidelines are based on rigorous, comprehensive, systematic evidence reviews sponsored by the NHLBI. The ACC and AHA collaborated with professional organizations to finalize these ACC/AHA cardiovascular prevention guidelines and stakeholder organizations were invited to review and endorse the final documents. Each guideline provides important updated guidance for primary care providers, nurses, pharmacists, and specialty medicine providers on how best to manage the care of patients at risk for cardiovascular-related diseases on the basis of the latest scientific evidence. For example, the Guideline for the Management of Overweight and Obese Adults addresses the appropriateness of the current body mass index and waist circumference cut points used …