Important Clinical Advisory and New Internet Resource

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
National Institutes of Health

Health

Action e-Bulletin

Science and Practice Ideas for Promoting Health and Eliminating Health Disparities

November 2001 Edition

ATP III Cholesterol Guidelines Full Report and More Now Available Online

The Third Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (Adult Treatment Panel III, or ATP III) Full Report is now available via the Internet.

The ATP III Full Report constitutes the National Cholesterol Education Program's (NCEP) updated clinical guidelines for cholesterol testing and management. The evidence-based, extensively referenced report builds on previous ATP reports and expands the indications for intensive cholesterol-lowering therapy in clinical practice.

The ATP III guidelines provide detailed information on topic areas such as:

• Rationale for intervention
• Classification of lipids and lipoproteins
• Lipid and non-lipid risk factors
• Coronary heart disease (CHD) risk assessment
• Lifestyle interventions, drug treatment, specific dyslipidemias, and adherence issues
• Recommendations for population groups such as:
  • patients with CHD
  • patients at high risk for developing CHD, e.g. diabetes & multiple risk factors
  • women, older Americans, and young adults
  • racial and ethnic groups.

The manuscript version is available for downloading and viewing in PDF format only at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/cholesterol/atp3_rpt.htm. Information about PDF and information for visitors using screen readers is available at this location.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Several additional practical tools have been developed to assist health professionals to quickly and easily apply ATP III to their practice. These include:

ATP III Executive Summary

This document summarizes and contains treatment recommendations derived from the evidence-based full ATP III report. Key tables and figures from the full report are included for easy reference. Topics addressed in the executive summary include classification of lipids and lipoproteins, coronary heart disease (CHD) risk assessment, lifestyle interventions, drug treatment, and interventions to improve adherence. Recommendations for special populations such as patients with CHD, patients at high risk for developing CHD, patients with diabetes, women, older Americans, young adults, and racial and ethnic groups are provided.

ATP III At-A-Glance: Quick Desk Reference

The Quick Desk Reference is a tool designed to help clinicians implement the National Cholesterol Education Program's new clinical guidelines for cholesterol testing and management. Based on the Third Report of the Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (Adult Treatment Panel or ATP III), the Quick Desk Reference outlines cholesterol management in a sequence of easy-to-follow steps. Find ATP III lipid and lipoprotein classifications, specific steps for determining a patient's risk category, and specific treatment recommendations based on LDL-cholesterol level. Also gives information on treating the metabolic syndrome and elevated triglycerides/low HDL.

"High Blood Cholesterol - What You Need to Know" Patient Brochure

A great way to help patients understand the new cholesterol guidelines in terms of what their cholesterol numbers mean and what treatment their doctor may prescribe to help lower their cholesterol level. Includes a tool to estimate the risk for having a heart attack, and outlines ways to reduce risk. Also contains a list of resources for further information.

ATP III 10-year Coronary Heart Disease Risk Calculator

This risk assessment tool uses recent data from the Framingham Heart Study to estimate 10-year risk for "hard" coronary heart disease outcomes (myocardial infarction and coronary death). The tool is designed to estimate risk in adults aged 20 and older who do not have heart disease or diabetes.

• 10-year Risk Calculator (online version)
• 10-year Risk Calculator (downloadable version)

ATP III Guidelines Slide Set

This PowerPoint® slide set can be downloaded for use in computer slide shows and conventional slide presentations, and for online viewing via the Web site. The slide set consists of ten sections to allow you to view or present your area of interest.

ATP III Cholesterol Management Implementation Tool for Palm OS

This easy-to-use program puts the ATP III guidelines in the palm of your hand.

The tool's interactive design quickly assists the busy clinician to implement the ATP III Cholesterol Guidelines for each patient at the point-of-care. Features include:

• ATP III classification of lipid levels
• ATP III CHD risk assessment
• Treatment recommendations including:
  • Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC)
  • Drug therapy for lipid lowering
  • Information on the metabolic syndrome
  • Issues for special populations

Advances in Cholesterol Management Conference Webcast

On Monday, June 4, and Tuesday, June 5, 2001, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) presented a live Webcast of core portions of the national conference on ATP III implementation. The Webcast included the opening session and welcoming remarks, plenary sessions, and closing panel discussion of the conference entitled, "Advances in Cholesterol Management: Putting the New National Cholesterol Education Program Guildelines into Practice." To view the conference Webcast, point your Web browser to http://hin.nhlbi.nih.gov/cholesterol/webcast.htm.

Visit the National Cholesterol Education Program's ATP III Web page for more information.