Clinicians can now use their phones to aid them in treating patients who experience muscle symptoms while taking statins.
On June 24, the American College of Cardiology (ACC) released a statin intolerance app for mobile phones and on its website. The app helps clinicians determine if a patient is intolerant to statins and provides them with steps to follow if patients have muscle symptoms when on statins.
The ACC detailed in a news release that the app could also teach clinicians and students about guidelines and ways to address statin intolerance.
On Nov. 10, the ACC released an app that included information on guidelines for managing heart failure, treating blood cholesterol and assessing cardiovascular disease risks. The ACC later updated the app with information on treating atrial fibrillation and valvular heart disease, managing overweight and obese adults and using lifestyle management to reduce cardiovascular disease. The ACC and American Heart Association jointly developed the guidelines in 2013.
The newest app is part of the ACC’s LDL: Address the Risk Initiative, a quality improvement program that includes managing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Amgen provided financial support for the initiative.
Executive Editor
Tim Casey joined TriMed Media Group in 2015 as Executive Editor. For the previous four years, he worked as an editor and writer for HMP Communications, primarily focused on covering managed care issues and reporting from medical and health care conferences. He was also a staff reporter at the Sacramento Bee for more than four years covering professional, college and high school sports. He earned his undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Notre Dame and his MBA degree from Georgetown University.