Management of Dyslipidemia for cardiovascular disease risk Reduction: synopsis of the 2020 updated U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and U.S. Department of Defense Clinical Practice Guideline

ABSTRACT

In June 2020, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) released a joint update of their clinical practice guideline for managing dyslipidemia to reduce cardiovascular disease risk in adults. This synopsis describes the major recommendations. The guideline panel developed key questions, systematically searched and evaluated the literature (English-language publications from 1 December 2013 to 16 May 2019), and developed 27 recommendations and a simple 1-page algorithm. The recommendations were graded by using the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) system. This synopsis summarizes key features of the guideline in 7 crucial areas targeting of statin dose (not low-density lipoprotein cholesterol goals), additional tests for risk prediction, primary and secondary prevention, laboratory testing, physical activity, and nutrition.