Evaluating the Association Between Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Reduction and Relative and Absolute Effects of Statin Treatment: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Importance: The association between statin-induced reduction in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels and the absolute risk reduction of individual, rather than composite, outcomes, such as all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, or stroke, is unclear.

Objective: To assess the association between absolute reductions in LDL-C levels with treatment with statin therapy and all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, and stroke to facilitate shared decision-making between clinicians and patients and inform clinical guidelines and policy.

Data Sources: PubMed and Embase were searched to identify eligible trials from January 1987 to June 2021.

Heart disease: The forgotten pandemic.

Over the past 10 years cholesterol levels have been falling while the number of Americans dying of heart disease has been steadily climbing. This apparent paradox compels us to question whether lowering cholesterol is the best way to prevent coronary heart disease. A number of recent studies suggest that cholesterol, specifically LDL-C, may not be a primary risk factor for coronary heart disease and other markers, such as insulin resistance or remnant cholesterol, may be much more important.

The Virtual Hospitalist: a Critical Innovation During the COVID-19 Crisis.

A virtual hospitalist program expanded our ability to confront the challenges of the COVID-19 crisis at the epicenter of the pandemic in New York City. In concert with on-site hospitalists and redeployed physicians, virtual hospitalists aimed to expand capacity while maintaining high-quality care and communication. The program addressed multiple challenges created by our first COVID-19 surge: high patient census and acuity; limitations of and due to personal protective equipment; increased communication needs due to visitor restrictions and the uncertain nature of the novel disease, and limitations to in-person work for some physicians.