Perspective:

The primary goal of both the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA) is to prevent cardiovascular diseases and improve the care of people living with, or at risk for, these diseases. Professional education, research, and the development of evidence-based guidelines, standards, and policies are at the heart of both organizations’ efforts to achieve this goal. Given the ACC and AHA’s long-time partnership and leadership in developing cardiovascular-related guidelines, the collaboration with the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) to complete four long-awaited guidelines focused on the assessment of cardiovascular risk, lifestyle modifications to reduce cardiovascular risk, and management of elevated blood cholesterol and body weight in adults seemed a logical transition. The joint ACC/AHA Task Force on Practice Guidelines and the Subcommittee on Prevention Guidelines should be commended for creating important recommendations that will serve only to benefit patients, providers, and the broader public health as the two societies continue to take on the nation’s number one killer, namely cardiovascular disease.