{
  "id": 9559395,
  "title": "Cholesterol control gets personalized – a cardiologist explains how new guidelines tailor treatment to your unique risk profile",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/cholesterol-control-gets-personalized-a-cardiologist-explains-how-new",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-09-24T12:48:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Conversation",
    "slug": "the-conversation",
    "url": "https://theconversation.com/cholesterol-control-gets-personalized-a-cardiologist-explains-how-new-guidelines-tailor-treatment-to-your-unique-risk-profile-279080"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "High cholesterol levels can lead to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, which increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. In March 2026, new guidelines were released by the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology to personalize cholesterol treatment based on individual risk profiles. These updated guidelines emphasize treating high cholesterol earlier in life and more aggressively to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease later in life.\n\nThe new guidelines introduce several blood tests, such as lipoprotein A (LpA) and apolipoprotein B (ApoB), which can help determine a person's risk beyond traditional LDL cholesterol levels. LpA is a molecule similar to LDL but with an added protein that can increase plaque formation, while ApoB measures the number of plaque particles in the blood.\n\nThe guidelines also recommend checking coronary artery calcium (CAC) scores, which are obtained through a CT scan and measure calcium deposits in the arteries around the heart. These guidelines provide specific recommendations for managing cholesterol levels based on the amount of calcium in a patient's arteries. The PREVENT-ASCVD online calculator is recommended to determine a patient's risk level based on factors like body mass index, blood pressure, diabetes history, kidney function, and smoking status. The guidelines encourage using statins as the first line of treatment, with other medications added if needed.",
  "summary": "The 2026 guidelines recommend beginning screening as early as age 9, and incorporates more precise diagnostic tests.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}