New Heart Guidelines Center Personalization: LDL Targets, Universal Lp(a) Testing, and Women’s Reproductive History
The AHA/ACC 2026 cholesterol guidelines shift to personalized care with concrete LDL targets by risk level, mandate universal Lp(a) screening, elevate CAC scoring (including incidental findings) in risk assessment, allow earlier or combination therapies, and recognize lifetime cholesterol exposure and women’s reproductive history (preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, early menopause, PCOS) as cardiovascular risk factors, with ApoB testing noted as useful in certain scenarios.
