Monday, February 13, 2012

Hypercholesterolemia

Hypercholesterolemia:
Various clinical practice guidelines have addressed the treatment of hypercholesterolemia. The American College of Physicians has addressed hypercholesterolemia in patients with diabetes.[24] Their four recommendations are:
  1. Lipid-lowering therapy should be used for secondary prevention of cardiovascular mortality and morbidity for all patients (both men and women) with known coronary artery disease and type 2 diabetes.
  2. Statins should be used for primary prevention against macrovascular complications in patients (both men and women) with type 2 diabetes and other cardiovascular risk factors.
  3. Once lipid-lowering therapy is initiated, patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus should be taking at least moderate doses of a statin (the accompanying evidence report states "simvastatin, 40 mg/d; pravastatin, 40 mg/d; lovastatin, 40 mg/d; atorvastatin, 20 mg/d; or an equivalent dose of another statin").[25]
For those patients with type 2 diabetes who are taking statins, routine monitoring of liver function tests or muscle enzymes is not recommended except in specific circumstances.

lung Noules follow up

Fleischner Society Recommended Guidelines for follow-up and management of
nodules detected incidentally during non-screening CT examinations.
(MacMahon et al, Radiology 2005: 237; 395-400.)

NODULE SIZE (mm) - LOW-RISK PATIENT
? 4 No further follow up.
>4-6 CT at 12 months, if unchanged, no further follow-up.
>6-8 CT at 6-12 months then at 18-24 months if no change.
>8 CT at around 3, 9, and 24 months; or PET or biopsy.

NODULE SIZE (mm) - HIGH-RISK PATIENT
?4 CT at 12 mo, if unchanged, no further follow-up.
>4-6 CT at 6-12 mo then at 18-24 months if no change.
>6-8 CT at 3-6 mo then at 9-12 and 24 months if no change.
>8 CT at around 3, 9, and 24 months; or PET or biopsy.

Hypercholesterolemia