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Background Since 2003, the Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee (JNC-7) has been the predominant guideline for blood pressure management. A 2014 expert panel recommended increasing the blood pressure targets for patients age 60 years and older, as well as those with diabetes or chronic kidney disease. Objectives The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of the 2014 expert panel blood pressure management recommendations on patients managed in U.S. ambulatory cardiovascular practices. Methods Using the National Cardiovascular Data Registry PINNACLE Registry, we assessed the proportion of patients who met the 2003 and 2014 panel recommendations, highlighting the populations of patients for whom the blood pressure goals changed. Results Of 1,185,253 patients in the study cohort, 706,859 (59.6%) achieved the 2003 JNC-7 goals. Using the 2014 recommendations, 880,378 (74.3%) patients were at goal. Among the 173,519 (14.6%) for whom goal achievement changed, 40,323 (23.2%) had a prior stroke or transient ischemic attack, and 112,174 (64.6%) had coronary artery disease. In addition, the average Framingham risk score in this group was 8.5 ± 3.2%, and the 10-year ASCVD risk score was 28.0 ± 19.5%. Conclusions Among U.S. ambulatory cardiology patients with hypertension, nearly 1 in 7 who did not meet JNC-7 recommendations would now meet the 2014 treatment goals. If the new recommendations are implemented in clinical practice, blood pressure target achievement and cardiovascular events will need careful monitoring, because many patients for whom the target blood pressure is now more permissive are at high cardiovascular risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background In a significant update, the 2013 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) cholesterol guidelines recommend fixed-dose statin therapy for those at risk and do not recommend nonstatin therapies or treatment to target low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels, limiting the need for repeated LDL-C testing. Objectives The goal of this study was to examine the impact of the 2013 ACC/AHA cholesterol guidelines on current U.S. cardiovascular practice. Methods Using the NCDR PINNACLE (National Cardiovascular Data Registry Practice Innovation and Clinical Excellence) registry data from 2008 to 2012, we assessed current practice patterns as a function of the 2013 cholesterol guidelines. Lipid-lowering therapies and LDL-C testing patterns by patient risk group (atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease [ASCVD], diabetes, LDL-C ≥190 mg/dl, or an estimated 10-year ASCVD risk ≥7.5%) were described. Results Among a cohort of 1,174,545 patients, 1,129,205 (96.1%) were statin-eligible (91.2% ASCVD, 6.6% diabetes, 0.3% off-treatment LDL-C ≥190 mg/dl, 1.9% estimated 10-year ASCVD risk ≥7.5%). There were 377,311 patients (32.4%) not receiving statin therapy and 259,143 (22.6%) receiving nonstatin therapies. During the study period, 20.8% of patients had 2 or more LDL-C assessments, and 7.0% had more than 4. Conclusions In U.S. cardiovascular practices, 32.4% of statin-eligible patients, as defined by the 2013 ACC/AHA cholesterol guidelines, were not currently receiving statins. In addition, 22.6% were receiving nonstatin lipid-lowering therapies and 20.8% had repeated LDL-C testing. Achieving concordance with the new cholesterol guidelines in patients treated in U.S. cardiovascular practices would result in significant increases in statin use, as well as significant reductions in nonstatin therapies and laboratory testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]