Making LDL Matter Again: Addressing Clinical, Patient, and Payer Barriers in ASCVD Management

Panelists discuss how: LDL-C control remains a national crisis, with many patients not on therapy or failing to reach target levels despite the availability of effective treatments.

Panelists discuss how: clinical inertia, patient apathy, and the asymptomatic nature of high cholesterol all contribute to undertreatment and poor outcomes.

Panelists discuss how pharmacy-related delays and limited escalation practices widen LDL-C management gaps.

Panelists discuss how real-world programs like PROMPT-LIPID expose undertreatment patterns and guide care improvement.

Panelists discuss how social determinants such as access, income, and literacy drive disparities in LDL-C control.

Panelists discuss how removing LDL-C targets in 2013 shifted focus from outcomes to statin use, weakening control efforts.

Panelists discuss how substituting LDL outcomes with statin-use metrics weakened cholesterol management quality.

Panelists discuss how reinstating LDL-C targets in quality programs could improve outcomes and accountability.

Panelists discuss how global LDL thresholds below 55 mg/dL influence care and challenge U.S. practice to evolve.

Panelists discuss how nonstatin agents are chosen and when combination therapy should be introduced for high-risk patients.

Panelists discuss how PCSK9 inhibitors remain underused due to access, cost, and adherence barriers.

Panelists discuss how payer controls and prior authorization policies delay and derail LDL-lowering therapy.

Panelists discuss how improving adherence to LDL-lowering therapies is essential for sustained cardiovascular protection.

Panelists discuss how long-term LDL-C exposure heightens cardiovascular risk, making early and sustained lowering crucial.