Start checking cholesterol levels from the age of 19, says new AHA guidelines: Details
Personalised therapy and earlier screening need to be ensured to reduce youngsters' heart issues, says the guidelines.
Personalised therapy and earlier screening need to be ensured to reduce youngsters' heart issues, says the guidelines.
Personalised therapy and earlier screening need to be ensured to reduce youngsters' heart issues, says the guidelines.
The rising heart diseases among youngsters are a concern that worries many, and now, the American Heart Association has brought out a set of new guidelines to address them. In the new update published along with the American College of Cardiology, published in the journal Circulation and the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, it's said that personalised therapy and earlier screening need to be ensured to reduce youngsters' heart issues.
It says people should consider checking cholesterol levels as early as 19 and take lipid-lowering medications much earlier than they would have 10 years ago. This can apparently ensure greater protection against stroke and heart attacks. Here's what the AHA guidelines, widely followed by the medical fraternity across the world, say:
What is recommended
1) At least once every five years, from the age of 19, undergo a cholesterol screening. High cholesterol may not show any symptoms, but it can silently worsen your heart with serious complications like strokes or heart attacks.
2)Start with statin therapy if you are a high-risk patient who has LDL above 160 and a family history of premature heart disease. This focuses on taking cholesterol-lowering medicines that inhibit LDL by up to 50%. A few of the statins are Rosuvastatin, Simvastatin and Atorvastatin. The guideline recommends taking medications even in one's 30s to reduce risk.
3) Use PREVENT online calculator to estimate your 10 or 30-year risk for total cardiovascular disease. The tool combines metabolic, kidney, and cardiovascular measures to help inform prevention-focused treatment decisions. It will help decide when a patient should start statin therapy.
4)Change your lifestyle if required by adding lean protein, vegetables and fruits, and whole grains.
5) Limit processed fats, sweets and sodium.
6) Aim for at least 150 minutes of exercise every week.
7) If you have poor triglycerides (more than 150 mg/dL), address the main causes like obesity and alcohol. Take medicines for severe cases.
Other tests recommended
1) Noncontract coronary artery calcification scan for men over 40 and women over 45.
2) Do a Lipoprotein(a) or Lp(a) test at least once in a lifetime to measure inherited heart disease risk.
3) Do an ApoB test to measure LDL most accurately and get the right treatment. For details, visit the new guidelines here.
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