Tips for Using the ATP III Guidelines At-A-Glance Quick Desk Reference

The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) provides education to physicians in an effort to prevent and treat heart, lung and blood diseases. In 2001, the NHLBI released the Third Report of the Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults, also called the Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III). This report represents the latest guidelines from the NHLBI for physicians treating patients with high blood cholesterol. To make these guidelines easier to use in a busy office, the ATP III Guidelines At-A-Glance Quick Desk Reference was developed.

Information Included in the Quick Desk Reference

• The ATP III Guidelines At-A-Glance Quick Desk Reference is an abbreviated version of the ATP III Guidelines. It lists nine steps to help guide physicians in the treatment of patients with high blood cholesterol. It is available for free from the NHLBI at nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/cholesterol/atglance.pdf. Working through these steps chronologically ensures that you follow the recommendations of the NHLBI and appropriately prescribe necessary treatment to your patients. A major focus of the ATP III Guidelines is prevention of disease in patients with multiple risk factors for developing heart disease, and the Quick Desk Reference allows you to identify those patients who may require preventative treatment.

Using the Quick Desk Reference

• First, the Quick Desk Reference helps you determine whether a patient's cholesterol levels are in the appropriate ranges. A complete lipoprotein profile must be obtained after a nine- to 12-hour fast in order to gain accurate results, which can be checked against the listing in the Quick Desk Reference. Next, identify any existing diseases or risk factors that may lead to the development of disease. Ask the patient about family history to gain a complete picture of the potential disease risk. Then you can assess the patient's short-term risk of developing heart disease and rank the disease risk category. Using the disease category ranking can help patients understand how they are at risk of heart disease and may help convince them to comply with treatment.

  Pages 2 through 5 of the Quick Desk Reference provide guidance on the choice of appropriate cholesterol-lowering drugs and therapeutic lifestyle interventions, based on the patient's current condition and his risk of developing disease in the future. Use this information to discuss treatment options and side effects with the patient.

  In addition to the ATP III Guidelines At-A-Glance Quick Desk Reference, the NHLBI provides additional resources for physicians working to follow the ATP III Guidelines in their practice, as well as information on identifying and treating other conditions. Medical professionals can access the NHLBI resources at nhlbi.nih.gov/health/indexpro.htm.