Introduction Hyperlipidemia can cause serious health complications like cardiovascular disease. The management of hyperlipidemia has attracted a lot of research in recent years. This article critique examines an article that was recently published on managing hyperlipidemia.
Summary of the Article The article, titled “New Lipid Guidelines for Hyperlipidemia Management: A Practical Review,” was published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine in 2018. This article summarises the major changes made to the lipid guidelines in 2017, by the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force for Clinical Practice Guidelines. They discuss the updated lipid guidelines that focus on the risk assessment, and use statins for primary therapy. The authors also emphasize the importance of lifestyle changes, including diet and exercise in managing hyperlipidemia.
This article is aimed at healthcare professionals who are involved in managing hyperlipidemia. It includes doctors, nurse practitioners, as well as other healthcare professionals involved in hyperlipidemia care.
Contribution to Current Knowledge This article summarizes the 2017 lipid guidelines to contribute to current knowledge on the treatment of hyperlipidemia. These guidelines are a change in emphasis from focusing on specific lipids to assess cardiovascular risk, and use statins for primary therapy. In addition, the article highlights lifestyle modifications as a key component in hyperlipidemia management.
Future Research Directions The article doesn’t suggest specific directions in future research relating to the management of hyperlipidemia. The article does, however, suggest that more research is needed to understand the clinical impact of new lipid recommendations.
The Article I Read I read this article to learn about changes made in the guidelines on lipids for hyperlipidemia management. These new guidelines focus more on the risk assessment, and use statins for primary treatment of lipid lowering. This article highlights lifestyle changes as important in managing hyperlipidemia.
Another Question Related to the Unit Objective A question that is related to the objective of the unit asks how hyperlipidemia can contribute to cardiovascular disease. What are the various classes of medications that lower lipids and what is their mechanism of action?
Reference Karaarslan, T. L., Sahin, I., & Altun, I. (2018). Practical review of the new guidelines for the management of hyperlipidemia. Journal of Clinical Medicine 7(9): 237. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm7090237