Management of LDL-cholesterol after an acute coronary syndrome: Key comparisons of the American and European clinical guidelines to the attention of the healthcare providers

Abstract

Guidelines for the management of blood cholesterol were updated in the past year in the United States and Europe, reflecting a more intensive approach to lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). The American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association task force on practice guideline released the 2018 guideline on the management of blood cholesterol on behalf of several American societies. Approximately 9 months later, the European Society of Cardiology/European Atherosclerosis Society published their 2019 guideline for the management of dyslipidemias. Both guidelines have similarities for the management of patients with acute coronary syndromes. Both emphasize risk assessment of patients as a main approach to guide therapy; those at higher risk of cardiovascular disease have a greater clinical benefit of LDL-C reduction by at least 50%. Both guidelines reinforce the indication to lower LDL-C as an important modifiable risk factor and consider the addition of nonstatin agents, such as ezetimibe and proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors, in addition to lifestyle counseling and high-intensity statin for further reduction of LDL-C levels. However, the guidelines have differences in the concepts of treatment thresholds (≥70 mg/dL in the United States) vs treatment goals (< 55 mg/dL in Europe), in the definition of very high-risk category and in the classes for recommendation for the use of PCSK9 inhibitors.

Keywords: PCSK9 inhibitors; ezetimibe; guideline; lipids; prevention; statin.