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(Circulation. 2002;106:3227.)
© 2002 American Heart Association, Inc.

ATP III Final Report

III. Detection and Evaluation

An extract of the first 250 words of the full text is provided, because this article has no abstract.

	Introduction

 
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. The approach to both is described below.

	1. Identification of risk categories for setting of LDL-cholesterol goals

 
The guiding principle of ATP III is that the intensity of LDL-lowering therapy should be adjusted to the individual's absolute risk for CHD. In applying this principle, ATP III maintains that both short-term (10-year) and long-term (> 10-year) risk must be taken into consideration. Thus, treatment guidelines are designed to incorporate risk reduction for both short-term and long-term risk (composite risk). ATP III identifies three categories of risk for CHD that modify goals and modalities of LDL-lowering therapy: established CHD and CHD risk equivalents, multiple (2+) risk factors, and 0-1 risk factor (Table III.1-1).

View this table: [in this window] [in a new window]   Table III.1-1. Categories of Risk for Coronary Heart Disease (CHD)

a. Identification of persons with CHD and CHD risk equivalents
Coronary . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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Appendix III-A Distributions of Total Cholesterol, LDL Cholesterol, HDL Cholesterol, and Triglycerides in the U.S. Adult Population, NHANES III Data (1988-1994) (Serum)
Circulation 2002 106: 3237-3240. [Extract] [Full Text]

References
Circulation 2002 106: 3373-3421. [Extract] [Full Text]