BMJ 2000;321:1083 ( 28 October )

Letters

DoH explains thinking behind national service framework for coronary heart disease

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR---In the cluster of letters on the national service framework for coronary heart disease,1 two letters (by Lloyd-Mostyn and Cracknell) raise concerns about the recommendation to reduce cholesterol concentration by 30%.2 I wish to clarify the Department of Health's position. The wording of the advice on cholesterol lowering in the national service framework was intended to read: "Statin therapy should aim to lower cholesterol below 5.0 mmol/l or to reduce total serum cholesterol by 20-25%, whichever would result in the lowest level. Equivalent figures for LDL [low density lipoprotein] cholesterol would be 3.0 mmol/l or by 30% reduction, whichever results in the lowest level." This is consistent with the joint British recommendations.3

On the matter of when to start statin treatment after acute myocardial infarction, the joint British recommendations state: "Patients admitted with unstable angina or acute MI [myocardial infarction] . . . should . . . be prescribed lipid lowering therapy before discharge."3 It was . . . [Full text of this article]
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This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Kirby, M., Gardener, R. (2004). Review: New antiplatelet guidelines for managing peripheral arterial disease -- what are the implications for diabetes?. British Journal of Diabetes & Vascular Disease 4: 311-315 [Abstract]  
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