Summary of the Second Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (Adult Treatment Panel II)

TLDR

The second report follows the first in outline and approach, emphasizing a clinical strategy for primary prevention of coronary heart disease. It presents updated cholesterol‑management recommendations, reaffirming LDL as the primary target and recommending dietary therapy first, with drug therapy for high‑risk patients. It introduces new features, notably increased emphasis on specific guidance (see pp.

Abstract

THE SECOND report of the Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (Adult Treatment Panel II, or ATP II) presents the National Cholesterol Education Program's updated recommendations for cholesterol management. It is similar to the first in general outline, and the fundamental approach to treatment of high blood cholesterol is comparable. This report continues to identify low-density lipoproteins (LDL) as the primary target of cholesterol-lowering therapy. As in the first report, the second report emphasizes the role of the clinical approach in primary prevention of coronary heart disease (CHD). Dietary therapy remains the first line of treatment of high blood cholesterol, and drug therapy is reserved for patients who are considered to be at high risk for CHD. However, the second report contains new features that distinguish it from the first. These include the following: Increased emphasis on See also pp 3002 and 3009.