Managing the Methods and Strategies for ATP III Goal Attainment:
Conquering the New Treatment Frontier
Robert M. Guthrie, MD

Robert M. Guthrie, MD, is Professor of Emergency Medicine at The Ohio State University and Professor of Pharmacology and Internal Medicine for the University’s College of Medicine. He is also Associate Director of Clinical Pharmacology at the College of Medicine.

A graduate of the College of Wooster in Ohio, Dr. Guthrie matriculated at the University of Glasgow in Scotland before receiving his medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore. He performed a residency in Family Practice at the University of Maryland Hospital. He subsequently completed residencies in Internal Medicine and Family Practice at Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore, and York Hospital in York, Pennsylvania, respectively.
Information Update: New Options for Lipid Management

Immediately following Dr. Guthrie's presentation is an Information Update by Dr. Paul Thompson. Dr. Thompson will discuss two new and promising options in lipid management—a new class of cholesterol absorption inhibitors was approved by the FDA October of 2002, and a potent new statin which was approved by the FDA on August 12, 2003.

Paul D. Thompson, MD, graduated cum laude in biology from Tufts College and received his medical degree from Tufts Medical School. He served as a medical intern and resident, as well as a cardiology catheterization fellow, at Tufts New England Medical Center, Boston, before completing his training in cardiology at Stanford University Medical Center in California.

Dr. Thompson is Professor of Medicine at the University of Connecticut and Director of the Preventive Cardiology Program and of Cardiovascular Research at Hartford Hospital in Connecticut. He was previously a Professor of Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh, from 1992 to 1997, and on the faculty of Brown University, Providence, from 1978 to 1992.

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this program, participants will be able to:

  • Evaluate the most important elements that define the standard of care, clinical methods, and management strategies utilized by physicians to get patients with dyslipidemia to NCEP ATP III goals.
  • Identify that LDL-C is the most atherogenic factor associated with dyslipidemia and that lowering its levels should be the primary target of therapy.
  • Demonstrate that low HDL-C levels create a significant cardiovascular risk and a need for targeted therapeutic options.
Educational Need
It is estimated that over 65 million Americans have cholesterol levels that exceed recommendations and necessitate intervention and treatment. Of these, approximately 36 million qualify for statin drug therapy, however only 8 million statin prescriptions are filled each month. These statistics combined with the new, more aggressive treatment guidelines indicate a great need for improved education on the clinical diagnosis and optimal treatment of dyslipidemia. Improved education can facilitate the clinical goal of managing dyslipidemia, which can only be met through improved physician-patient relationships and communication in combination with aggressive treatment plans.
Intended Audience
This online lecture is intended for cardiologists, endocrinologists, primary care physicians, internists, physician assistants, medical directors, and other physicians treating dyslipidemia.
Program Questions Method of Participation

For questions regarding the content of this program, please contact The France Foundation, at cme@francefoundation.com.

 Program Presentation

 This program should take approximately 1 hour to complete. The recorded material is 40 minutes in length, and the program is free.
The participant's actions should follow in this order:
(1) Read the objectives
(2) Follow Dr. Guthrie's online slide presentation, and Dr. Thompson's information update

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