LDL Cholesterol: ‘The Times They Are A-Changin’

More than ever, the circulating concentration of low-density lipoprotein–cholesterol (LDL-C) has become a key criterion for the assessment of cardiovascular risk worldwide, and in turn, for clinical management of such risk. This “fait accompli” in large part reflects the recognition of the causality of LDL particles in the pathophysiology of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), and of the robust body of evidence demonstrating that efficacious and sustained lowering of LDL-C concentrations over time confers marked reduction in both risk and cardiovascular events (1,). As a consequence, many national and international guidelines for ASCVD prevention now focus on LDL-C targets as a function of the level of global risk in secondary prevention...