Diagnosing

This information is taken from 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): Full Report, published by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). Please refer to the original guideline document¹ for more detailed information.

ATP III recognizes that detection of cholesterol disorders and other coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factors occurs primarily through clinical case finding.  Risk factors can be detected and evaluated as part of a person’s work-up for any medical problem. Alternatively, public screening programs can identify risk factors, provided that affected individuals are appropriately referred for physician attention. The identification of cholesterol disorders in the setting of a medical examination has the advantage that other cardiovascular risk factors—including prior CHD, PVD, stroke, age, gender, family history, cigarette smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, obesity, physical inactivity—co-morbidities, and other factors can be assessed and considered prior to treatment.

At the time of physician evaluation, the person’s overall risk status is assessed. Thus, detection and evaluation of cholesterol and lipoprotein problems should proceed in parallel with risk assessment for CHD.

Click here to read about risk assessment.

Reference:
1. 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): Full report. Section III-1. NIH Publication No. 02-5215, September 2002. This guideline document, published by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), as a part of the NIH and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is available at: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/cholesterol/index.htm.

^ Top