NATIONAL CHOLESTEROL EDUCATION-PROGRAMS RECOMMENDATIONS, AND IMPLICATIONS OF MISSING HIGH-DENSITY-LIPOPROTEIN CHOLESTEROL IN CARDIAC REHABILITATION PROGRAMS

During the last decade, the lipid-coronary artery disease hypothesis has become established, and great national attention is currently directed at lipids for the primary and secondary prevention of coronary heart disease.1,2 Although we feel that the efforts of the National Cholesterol Education Program should be applauded, and have increased public and physician awareness of lipid disorders, their assessment and treatment recommendations have emphasized total and lowdensity lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterols, with little emphasis on the pivotal role of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol on coronary heart disease risk.3 Therefore, we assessed lipid data from 2 cardiac rehabilitation and exercise programs to determine the impact of the "missing" HDL cholesterol in the National Cholesterol Education Program's recommendations on coronary patients. © 1991.