Heart health
New multisociety guideline broadens dyslipidemia risk assessment
The guideline names South Asian ancestry as a cardiovascular risk enhancer, but says ancestry alone should not mandate statin therapy.
The 2026 ACC/AHA/multisociety guideline on dyslipidemia replaces the 2018 cholesterol guideline and updates how clinicians assess cardiovascular risk, according to an ACC commentary on the guideline. It calls for universal atherogenic lipoprotein screening, lipid assessment at earlier ages and lower risk category thresholds.
The guideline incorporates apolipoprotein B, Lp(a), coronary artery calcium scoring and cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome into risk-based decisions, and recommends the PREVENT equation for individualized risk assessment. It also recognizes South Asian ancestry as a risk enhancer. The ACC commentary says this should prompt closer assessment of other risk factors, but ancestry by itself should not determine whether a patient receives statin therapy. The guideline also recommends considering coronary artery calcium scoring to guide treatment for subclinical disease.
