Levels & Guidelines

The good news is that cholesterol levels in the United States have been on the decline. However, 15% of the U.S. adult population have cholesterol levels above the recommended level, affecting approximately 34 million people*

The National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) was launched to reduce the percentage of Americans with high cholesterol and the associated risk of heart disease.

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The NCEP Guidelines identify LDL cholesterol as the primary target of cholesterol management due to clinical research, which has shown that elevated LDL, the "bad" cholesterol, is the primary cause of coronary heart disease.

NCEP Guidelines for High Risk Heart Patients Can Save Lives

Every year 1.2 million Americans have a new or repeat heart attack. Guidelines have been developed that specifically target these high risk Americans.

The NCEP Guideline determines that patients that are very high risk should lower their LDL "bad" cholesterol to a rock bottom 70 mg/dl.

Who is at "high-risk"? Patients who:

  • already have suffered a heart attack
  • have cardiovascular disease plus diabetes
  • are persistent smokers with high blood pressure
  • have other multiple risk factors
* American Heart Association. Heart Disease and Strokes Statistics - 2011 Update: A Report From the American Heart Association http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/123/4/e18.full.pdf