Table 1.

Definitions of high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and control in the updated (2004) Adult Treatment Panel (ATP)-III guidelines.

	High LDL-C	Control
History of coronary heart disease at very high risk*	LDL-C ≥ 70 mg/dL or use of lipid-lowering therapy	LDL-C < 70 mg/dL
History of coronary heart disease† or risk equivalent	LDL-C ≥ 100 mg/dL or use of lipid-lowering therapy	LDL-C < 100 mg/dL
2+ coronary heart disease risk factors and 10 year Framingham risk of 10 – 20%	LDL-C ≥ 100 mg/dL or use of lipid-lowering therapy	LDL-C < 100 mg/dL
10 year Framingham risk < 10%	LDL-C ≥ 130 mg/dL or use of lipid-lowering therapy	LDL-C < 130 mg/dL
0–1 coronary heart disease risk factors	LDL-C ≥ 160 mg/dL or use of lipid-lowering therapy	LDL-C < 160 mg/dL

LDL-C: low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; CHD: coronary heart disease

^*Very high risk defined by having a history of CHD and diabetes mellitus, cigarette smoking and/or the metabolic syndrome

^†Not including individuals at very high risk

Coronary heart disease risk equivalents included diabetes mellitus and stroke

Coronary heart disease risk factors include older age (≥55 years for women and ≥45 years for men), current cigarette smoking, hypertension, family history of coronary heart disease (history of myocardial infarction or angina before age 50 years among first-degree relatives), and low HDL-cholesterol. HDL cholesterol ≥ 60 mg/dL is considered protective and offsets the presence of one these risk factors.