.jpg)
Listen here or wherever you enjoy podcasts!
Dyslipidemia has an outsized presence in correctional health settings and can be tough to manage, thanks to a population with a higher baseline risk for cardiovascular disease facing environmental limitations with diet and exercise. Fortunately for providers across all settings, managing dyslipidemia is becoming more streamlined with a new set of guidelines from the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association.
Listen as Chris breaks down these new dyslipidemia guidelines, highlighting updated risk assessment tools, cholesterol targets, and evidence-based therapies while offering practical guidance tailored to correctional healthcare.
To see Chris' handy dyslipedmia pocket guide, sign up for an account at opticsclinical.com.
Before that, Chris brings us up to speed with these medication headlines:
Baxfendy- A brand new aldosterone synthase inhibitor
Ozempic- Oral tablets and the “retirement” of Rybelsus
Hepcludex- Accelerated approval for the only Hep D drug in the US
Orphines- Another synthetic opioid to look out for
And to finish things out, we look at the amazing story of statins and their unlikely origin.
References/Further Reading:
Into the Clinic:
1.Baxfendy (baxdrostat): AstraZeneca. Baxfendy approved in the US as the first and only aldosterone synthase inhibitor treatment for adults with hypertension. Press release, May 18, 2026.astrazeneca.com/media-centre/press-releases/2026/Baxdrostat-MNR-2026.html
2.Oral Ozempic (semaglutide tablets): Novo Nordisk. Novo Nordisk's Ozempic pill, the only FDA-approved oral peptide GLP-1 medication for adults with type 2 diabetes, soon to be available in the US. Press release, May 1, 2026. prnewswire.com. See also: Pharmacy Times, “From Rybelsus to the Ozempic Pill: What Pharmacists Need to Know About the Next Generation of Oral Semaglutide,” 2026.
3.Hepcludex (bulevirtide-gmod): U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA Approves First Treatment for Chronic Hepatitis Delta Virus (HDV) Infection. Press announcement, May 22, 2026. fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements. See also: Gilead Sciences press release, May 22, 2026.
4.Orphines (cyclorphine): Pharmacy Times. Emerging Synthetic Opioids: What to Know About Orphines in the Illicit Drug Supply. 2026.pharmacytimes.com/view/emerging-synthetic-opioids-what-to-know-about-orphines-in-the-illicit-drug-supply
Dyslipidemia Discussion:
5. 2026 ACC/AHA Dyslipidemia Guideline: Blumenthal RS, Morris PB, Gaudino M, et al. 2026ACC/AHA/AACVPR/ABC/ACPM/ADA/AGS/APhA/ASPC/NLA/PCNA Guideline on the Management of Dyslipidemia: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines. JACC. Published online March 13, 2026. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2025.11.016. Co-published in Circulation, doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000001423.
6. PREVENT-ASCVD Risk Calculator: American Heart Association. The AHA PREVENT Online Calculator and Top Take-Home Messages for Clinicians: Using PREVENT-ASCVD Equations for Risk-Based Lipid Management.professional.heart.org/en/science-news/2026-guideline-on-the-management-of-dyslipidemia
7.ACC/AHA Guideline-at-a-Glance: American College of Cardiology. 2026 Dyslipidemia Guideline-at-a-Glance. JACC.jacc.org/doi/10.1016/j.jacc.2026.02.4872
8. Lp(a), CAC scoring, and icosapent ethyl: Recommendations on lipoprotein(a) screening, coronary artery calcium scoring for risk reclassification, and icosapent ethyl for residual hypertriglyceridemia risk are addressed within the 2026 ACC/AHA/Multisociety Dyslipidemia Guideline (see reference 5). Icosapent ethyl outcomes data: Bhatt DL, et al. Cardiovascular Risk Reduction with Icosapent Ethyl for Hypertriglyceridemia (REDUCE-IT). N Engl J Med. 2019;380:11-22.
Trivia Capsule:
9. Statin discovery (trivia segment): Endo A. A historical perspective on the discovery of statins. Proc Jpn Acad Ser B Phys Biol Sci. 2010;86:484-493. See also: Tobert JA, “From Fleming to Endo: The discovery of statins,” PMC9491398, and the Lancet obituary for Akira Endo, July 2024.
