Preventive cardiologist Heather Johnson, M.D., was part of the writing committee for a new, comprehensive tool for assessing and treating these health risks.

Heather Johnson, M.D., director of preventive cardiology for women's services with Baptist Health Heart & Vascular Care at the Christine E. Lynn Women's Health & Wellness Institute and clinical affiliate associate professor for Florida Atlantic University, helped shape the new guideline for managing lipids, including cholesterol, that were published by the leading journals of the American College of Cariology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA). Dr. Johnson served on the writing committee, which was comprised of representatives from the ACC, the AHA and nine other leading medical associations. 

The resulting guideline consolidates, into one document, evidence-based recommendations for assessing and treating blood lipids to lower an individual’s risk of developing atherosclerosis, a buildup of fatty deposits in the arteries. Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is the leading cause of death globally, according to the ACC and AHA. 

The guideline focuses on lifestyle changes, such as maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly, avoiding tobacco products and prioritizing healthy sleep habits to limit one's risk. It also highlights the importance of taking cholesterol-lowering medication if recommended by a healthcare professional. Additionally, the guideline clarifies reduced low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) goals and a percent reduction based on risk to reduce lifetime exposure to unhealthy lipids to lower overall risk of heart attack and stroke.

New to the guideline is a more contemporary cardiovascular disease risk calculator—Predicting Risk of Cardiovascular Disease EVENTs (PREVENT)—now recommended for primary prevention of ASCVD.