WHF Launches Updated Cholesterol RoadMap

14 October 2022

The World Heart Federation has launched an updated Cholesterol Roadmap 2022 which provides a framework for evidence-based policy solutions for the prevention and management of cholesterol very recently at the World Congress of Cardiology (13-15 October 2022 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil).

The WHF Roadmap for Cholesterol – 2022 Update aims to “reduce the global burden of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, which is responsible for 85% of the 18.6 million cardiovascular disease-related deaths worldwide every year. Atherosclerosis is a silent condition caused by high cholesterol that develops throughout a person’s lifespan and can lead to sudden death. The new roadmap, which builds on the previous 2017 edition, shows how targeting cholesterol can help reduce atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and save lives”: - https://world-heart-federation.org/cvd-roadmaps/whf-global-roadmaps/cholesterol/

The Cholesterol Roadmap is designed to promote the global implementation of evidence-based solutions together with concrete national commitments. Around the globe,, efforts are underway to roll out guidelines in lipid management.

The WHF Roadmap 2022 has identified actionable solutions in 5 Key Focus Areas:

1. Improving Awareness to ensure that health professionals are aware of the continuous graded association between cholesterol blood levels and ASCVD risk.

2. Roll out population-based approaches to prevent ASCVD and reduce population-level cholesterol exposure throughout the life-course.

3. ASCVD risk assessment and population screening to reduce under-diagnosis of genetic dyslipidaemias.

4. System-level approaches targeting specifically high-risk individuals refers to access and affordability of essential cholesterol lipid lowering medicines (statin and non-statin therapies).

5. National and regional surveillance of cholesterol and ASCVD outcomes to monitor whether patients take recommended medications to reduce cholesterol and control other risk factors.

Professor Kausik Ray of Imperial College, London and co-chair of WHF Cholesterol said, “Our goal is to work together to reduce deaths from atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases, and to curb human suffering and societal and fiscal costs. The knowledge gathered helps us provide pragmatic solutions via the WHF Cholesterol Roadmap, including a lifetime cholesterol-lowering approach.”

Raul D. Santos, from the University of Sao Paulo and Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, co-chair WHF Cholesterol Roadmap said. “We have effective and inexpensive therapies to target atherosclerosis. We have identified solutions for implementing adequate therapies tailored to different models of care to ensure success.”

Press Release: https://world-heart-federation.org/news/cholesterol-risks-and-remedies-a-roadmap-to-improve-cardiovascular-health/

Summary Document: https://world-heart-federation.org/wp-content/uploads/WHF-Cholesterol-Roadmap-Summary-Document.pdf

Roadmap in Full: https://world-heart-federation.org/wp-content/uploads/WHF-Cholesterol-Roadmap-2022.pdf