March 18, 2019Journal of the American College of Cardiology
2019 ACC/AHA Guideline on the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease: Executive Summary
Key Points
- The aim is to provide updated recommendations for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease.
- Review of current evidence on cardiovascular risk factors and interventions.
- Development of guidelines by expert committee.
- Focus on key areas such as cholesterol management and hypertension.
- Emphasize the importance of lifestyle changes like diet and exercise.
- Recommend specific cholesterol and blood pressure targets for at-risk individuals.
- Highlight the role of regular cardiovascular risk assessments.
Structured PICO
P
Population
Individuals targeted for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease
Provides the 2019 ACC/AHA clinical practice guidelines for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease.
Key expert perspectives
Captured external expert commentary on this paper, strongest first. Original sources are linked where available.
“The most important way to prevent cardiovascular disease … is by adopting heart healthy habits and to do so over one's lifetime. More than 80 percent of all cardiovascular events are preventable through lifestyle changes, yet we often fall short in terms of implementing these strategies and controlling other risk factors.”
“Social determinants of health, and how we're making that front and center, is the most impactful [aspect of the new guidelines]. So many patients, we don't even ask them if they can make it to the pharmacy to pick up their prescription [or] have access to healthy foods. To make aggressive recommendations in the absence of that knowledge, it's very hard for our patients to adopt healthy lifestyles often because they're socially disadvantaged.”
“No other guideline has highlighted the social determinants of health.”
Implication
Updates primary CVD prevention practice; extends evidence-based targets for lifestyle, cholesterol, and BP management.
Abstract
A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines Endorsed by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation, the American Geriatrics Society, the American Society of Preventive Cardiology, and the Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association
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Cite This Study
Arnett et al. (2019) studied this question. The 2019 ACC/AHA guidelines establish updated clinical practice recommendations for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease.