The 2013 ACC/AHA Cholesterol Treatment Guidelines: Applicability to Patients with Diabetes

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide and the management of blood cholesterol is a cornerstone of medical therapy for the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease. Patients with diabetes represent an important high-risk group in whom clinicians should advocate the use of statins and lifestyle modification for the reduction of ASCVD. The recent 2013 ACC/AHA guidelines on managing blood cholesterol provide an important framework for the effective implementation of this important risk reduction strategy. The guidelines identify four groups of individuals who have been shown to benefit from statin therapy and update the dosing and monitoring recommendations based on evidence from published, large-scale randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with clinical hard endpoints. Primary care physicians and specialists play key roles in identifying populations at elevated ASCVD risk and providing effective care for patients, especially those with diabetes. This article will summarize the 2013 ACC/AHA guidelines on managing blood cholesterol and provide a practical management overview in order to facilitate implementation of these guidelines for patients with diabetes.