Cardiovascular disease: risk assessment and reduction, including lipid modification

Statement: 9 February 2023

This update of clinical guideline CG181 will cover treatment target(s) for secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease.  It does not aim to sequence treatment options beyond statins.

A NICE indicator that will be suitable for use in the QOF (subject to negotiations) is being developed concurrently with the clinical guideline. We anticipate that a draft indicator will be available for public consultation at the same time as the draft clinical guideline, and that a final indicator will be published alongside the final guideline.

Stakeholders have identified that this treatment target is an urgent requirement.  In order to deliver this within the required timescales, the populations to be included in the evidence have been limited and will not focus on people who are intolerant of, or have contraindications to, statins.  This population is not, however, excluded from the scope of this guideline and recommendations may still be made. 

Please note that this is separate to the recent update covering recommendations in the areas of formal risk assessment for primary prevention, cardioprotective diet and statins for prevention of CVD. For details of that update please see the guideline update information.