European lipid guidelines: therapeutic recommendations. European Atherosclerosis Society.

The European Consensus Conference has classified persons with hyperlipidemia into 5 groups on the basis of cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Plasma cholesterol concentration alone is not sufficient for the assessment of myocardial infarction risk; other risk factors must be considered for a more sensitive prediction. Guidelines for risk assessment of coronary heart disease and treatment regimens for each of the 5 hyperlipidemia groups, as outlined in the Policy Statement on coronary heart disease of the European Atherosclerosis Society, are described. It is emphasized that therapeutic goals for patients with hyperlipidemia depend to some extent on the presence or absence of other risk factors; plasma cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol target levels may be lower in those with associated risk factors.