The treatment of clinical dyslipidemia – a longstanding cornerstone in the prevention and management of primary and secondary atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) – has markedly increased in complexity over the last several years.

In the U.S., newer clinical pathways requiring sophisticated risk stratification for both primary and secondary prevention coupled with emphasis on appropriate dosing, uncertainty over the role of therapeutic benchmarks, powerful novel agents, and rigorous documentation requirements for medication intolerance, present many treatment challenges. This clinical complexity is even more challenging globally in regions like Latin America, the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific.

In an effort to help mitigate some of the challenges facing key countries around the world, the ACC launched its Global Lipid Management Train-the-Trainer program in 2018.

The program which started in four countries (Saudi Arabia, China, Brazil and Colombia) and in partnership with in-country cardiovascular societies and the program's sponsor, Amgen, was designed to reach thousands of regional health care practitioners with localized solutions to addressing the global burden of dyslipidemia.

A unique, cascading curriculum was developed by ACC faculty experts Pamela Morris, MD, FACC, and Geoffrey Barnes, MD, MSc, FACC, and other regional leaders, with the goals of raising awareness around evidence-based therapies for high-risk ASCVD populations; supporting evolving guidelines of care for the comprehensive management of dyslipidemia outside of the U.S.; and facilitating practice change amongst clinician communities.

Altogether, more than 3,500 health care practitioners, including cardiologists, primary care physicians, endocrinologists, nurses, medical students and physician associates, participated in 123 cascading teachings across the four participating countries.

In addition, findings from an integrated assessment designed to measure reach, satisfaction, knowledge gained, and intended practice improvements suggest that more than 6 million patients across the four participating countries benefitted from the program.

"After the program I began to use these guidelines in the treatment of my patients," said one participant from Brazil. Another clinician from Colombia highlighted the comprehensive nature of the course, as well as its timeliness and ability to reach "a broad group of professionals."

To date the latest iteration of the program, which will run through December, continues in Saudi Arabia, Brazil and China, along with eight additional countries (Mexico, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Australia). More versatility has been woven into the education sessions in order to reach a larger group of clinicians and further diversify those attending the cascading education session.

Click here to learn more about the ways the ACC is helping health care clinicians around the world improve the health of their communities. Whether through Train-the-Trainer programs like this, or through innovative efforts like the free, online NCD Academy, or the Global Heart Attack Treatment Initiative, the ACC is working to accelerate the transformation of cardiovascular care worldwide. Also don't miss the growing library of translated clinician and patient tools ranging from mobile apps for clinicians to patient-facing infographics to help raise awareness of cardiovascular risk factors and treatment options.