Know Your Numbers - Know Your Risk: Welcome Letter (2002 National Cholesterol Education Month Kit)

Dear Colleague:

Thank you for your interest in and support for National Cholesterol Education Month. Cholesterol Month 2003 continues the theme, "Know your cholesterol numbers, know your risk." This theme highlights two of the main thrusts of the latest cholesterol guidelines, clearly emphasizing the importance of having your cholesterol measured and knowing your risk of developing heart disease. This year's Cholesterol Month kit contains a variety of materials and tools that will assist you in bringing the latest information on cholesterol lowering into your community, program, or practice.

Cholesterol Month is an especially good time to recharge your cholesterol education activities. Build your activities on the latest National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) guidelines for cholesterol management: the "Third Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults" (Adult Treatment Panel III, or ATP III).

ATP III, which was developed by an expert panel of 27 members and extensively reviewed by the members of the NCEP Coordinating Committee representing 40 leading health and medical organizations, as well as by 19 additional cholesterol authorities, is evidence-based and heavily referenced. ATP III maintains many core principles of ATP II, including a focus on LDL cholesterol as the primary target of therapy, and the need for intensive cholesterol treatment in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). Naturally, ATP III also has a number of new features, including: more aggressive cholesterol-lowering treatment and better identification of those at high risk for a heart attack; use of a complete lipoprotein profile as the first test for high cholesterol; a new level at which low HDL cholesterol becomes a major heart disease risk factor; a new set of "Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes," with more power to improve cholesterol levels; a sharper focus on a cluster of heart disease risk factors known as "the metabolic syndrome;" and increased attention to the treatment of high triglycerides.

To assist in the implementation of the ATP III guidelines, several new tools have been developed. For professionals, a risk assessment tool for calculating the risk for having a heart attack in the next 10 years, an interactive guideline tool for Palm OS^® devices, an ATP III At-A-Glance Quick Desk Reference, and a clinical advisory on statins are available at the NHLBI ATP III Web page (www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/cholesterol/). Patients also can assess their risk by using an online risk calculator, or by using the Framingham risk scoring tables in the brochure, "High Blood Cholesterol—What You Need To Know," also available at the NHLBI ATP III Web page (www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/cholesterol/). The interactive Web page "Live Healthier, Live Longer" (www.nhlbi.nih.gov/chd/) has been updated to reflect the ATP III guidelines. It provides detailed information on lowering cholesterol for those who want to prevent CHD, as well as those who already have CHD and want to reduce their risk for a heart attack.

Your 2003 Cholesterol Month community kit includes the essential tools and materials to broadcast this year's theme, "Know your cholesterol numbers, know your risk." Some of the helpful items contained in your kit include:

• A drop-in article that discusses the major areas of focus for Cholesterol Month 2003: new features of ATP III; risk assessment in ATP III; ways to lower cholesterol; and a review of the tools developed to facilitate implementation of ATP III.
• Ten great ideas for Cholesterol Month activities in settings such as the workplace, the physician's office, the community, and the grocery store.
• Q's & A's on the new food label: saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol.
• Heart healthy recipes to distribute at health fairs or classes.
• Hot links to cholesterol education Web sites, including the revised "Live Healthier, Live Longer" Web page.

These are just a few of the materials in your Cholesterol Month kit. Be sure to check out each piece offered. Thank you for using the 2003 Cholesterol Month kit in supporting National Cholesterol Education Month through your organization's activities in September and throughout the year.

Sincerely,

James I. Cleeman, M.D.
Coordinator
National Cholesterol Education Program