To better identify risk, the guidelines include a tool that predicts a person's chance of having a heart attack within 10 years. ATP III recommends use of the tool for persons with two or more heart disease risk factors. That allows treatment to be more individualized. That's important because, although risk typically increases with age, the foundation for heart disease is often laid in adolescence and early adulthood. So Americans need to act now to prevent that future heart attack or heart disease itself.
Every risk factor needs to be treated.
Cleeman advises Americans to check with their doctor to learn their overall risk for a heart attack and what, if any, treatment is needed. Type 2 diabetes, or noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, is the most common form of the disease and affects more than 14 million Americans. The guidelines advise healthy adults to have a lipoprotein analysis once every 5 years. The change reflects new findings about the significance of a low HDL, and the strong link between a low HDL and an increased risk of heart disease. ATP III recommends a more intense and effective eating plan than that previously used.