Revised recommendations from the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology
Sponsoring Organizations: American Heart Association, American College of Cardiology Foundation (endorsed by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)Background and Purpose: Since 2001, when these guidelines were last updated, clinical trials have taught us more about how to prevent adverse events in patients with coronary and other atherosclerotic vascular disease. The new evidence has influenced several sets of practice guidelines (in lipid management, PCI, etc.); those guidelines have informed the revision of these 2006 secondary-prevention recommendations. Class I recommendations reflect consistent evidence and/or consensus opinion; class IIa recommendations reflect some conflict among evidence or opinion, with the weight in favor …