ASCVD Risk

In CVD,
There's no time to wait

Despite the availability of lipid-lowering therapies (LLTs), cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death globally—a trend that is expected to continue.^1-3

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CVD Mortality ASCVD Impact LDL-C & ASCVD

CVD Mortality

The disheartening reversal in CVD trends

In the US between 2019 and 2022, CVD age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMR) increased 9%, reversing the decreasing mortality rate trend observed since 2010 and undoing nearly a decade of progress.⁴

Age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMR) due to CVD increased in the US between 2019 and 2022⁴

CVD mortality rates began rising in 2010 after decades of steady decline.⁵

CVD mortality trends for US males and females, 1980 to 2020⁵

Reprinted from Tsao CW, et al; American Heart Association Council on Epidemiology and Prevention Statistics Committee and Stroke Statistics Subcommittee. Heart disease and stroke statistics—2023 update: a report from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2023;147(8):e93-e621.

ASCVD Impact

By 2050 > 184 million US adults are expected to be affected by CVD and hypertension, including ≈27 million with coronary heart disease (CHD) and ≈19 million with stroke.^2,6

LDL-C & ASCVD

Exploring the link between  LDL-C and ASCVD

LDL-C is linearly associated with ASCVD risk across genetic, observational, and randomized studies. Risk depends on both the magnitude and duration of exposure, with greater cumulative exposure driving larger plaque burden.⁸

Reducing levels of circulating LDL-C is critical to halting atherosclerotic plaque build-up and reducing cardiovascular risk.⁸

When considering lipid lowering therapies for patients, which criteria are most important?

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References

References: 1. World Health Organization. Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Accessed September 5, 2025. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cardiovascular-diseases-(cvds) 2. Joynt Maddox KE, Elkind MSV, Aparicio HJ, et al. Forecasting the burden of cardiovascular disease and stroke in the United States through 2050—prevalence of risk factors and disease: a presidential advisory from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2024;150(4):e65–e88. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000001256 3. Makover ME, Shapiro MD, Toth PP. There is urgent need to treat atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk earlier, more intensively, and with greater precision: a review of current practice and recommendations for improved effectiveness. Am J Prev Cardiol. 2022;12:100371. doi:10.1016/j.ajpc.2022.100371 4. Woodruff RC, Tong X, Khan SS, et al. Trends in cardiovascular disease mortality rates and excess deaths, 2010-2022. Am J Prev Med. 2024;66(4):582-589. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2023.11.009 5. Tsao CW, Aday AW, Almarzooq ZI, et al; American Heart Association Council on Epidemiology and Prevention Statistics Committee and Stroke Statistics Subcommittee. Heart disease and stroke statistics—2023 update: a report from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2023;147(8):e93-e621. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000001123 6. Joynt Maddox KE, Elkind MSV, Aparicio HJ, et al; American Heart Association. Supplementary material for “Forecasting the burden of cardiovascular disease and stroke in the United States through 2050—prevalence of risk factors and disease: a presidential advisory from the American Heart Association.” Circulation. 2024;150(4):e65–e88. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000001256 7. Vasan RS, Enserro DM, Xanthakis V, Beiser AS, Seshadri S. Temporal trends in the remaining lifetime risk of cardiovascular disease among middle-aged adults across six decades: the Framingham Study. Circulation. 2022;145(17):1324-1338. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.121.057889 8. Ference BA, Ginsberg HN, Graham I, et al. Low-density lipoproteins cause atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. 1. Evidence from genetic, epidemiologic, and clinical studies. A consensus statement from the European Atherosclerosis Society Consensus Panel. Eur Heart J. 2017;38(32):2459-2472. doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehx144

In CVD,There's no time to wait

The disheartening reversal in CVD trends

Age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMR) due to CVD increased in the US between 2019 and 20224

CVD mortality trends for US males and females, 1980 to 20205

By 2050 > 184 million US adults are expected to be affected by CVD and hypertension, including ≈27 million with coronary heart disease (CHD) and ≈19 million with stroke.2,6