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Updated AHA/ACC guidelines: drop trans fats, assess smoking
NEW ORLEANS — The latest version of the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association prevention guidelines encourages clinicians to counsel patients to reduce intake of saturated fats and to stop smoking, two areas that had never been addressed before in these societies’ guidelines, according to a presenter at the ACC Scientific Sessions.
The first component issued was “a recommendation of harm for the consumption of trans fats,” Donna K. Arnett, PhD, MSPH, FAHA, past president of the AHA and co-chair of the guideline writing committee, said at the meeting.
The second new component involved the monitoring of patients’ tobacco use.
Clinicians should assess every adult for tobacco use at every visit, firmly advise all tobacco users to quit, recommend behavioral interventions and pharmacotherapy to help patients quit, and advise patients that smoking cessation lowers atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk, according to Arnett.
For more details on the latest version of the ACC/AHA prevention guidelines, please click here. – by Janel Miller
Reference:
Arnett DK, et al. “All you needed to know about cardiovascular disease prevention guidelines; Well — almost all.” Presented at: American College of Cardiology Scientific Session; March 16-18, 2019; New Orleans.
Disclosure: Arnett reports no relevant financial disclosures.