Cholesterol Conversations

Your patient's LDL-C is still above goal. What should you do next? Dr. Heather Johnson and Professor Viet Le put the 2026 dyslipidemia guidelines into clinical context and discuss how to use PREVENT-ASCVD, lipoprotein(a), and other risk markers to tailor treatment, set LDL goals, and determine when to move beyond statins; They also tackle the barriers that can stall treatment, from statin intolerance and prior authorizations to conversations with patients and missed follow-up lipid tests. 
New risk tools, lower LDL-C goals, more treatment options…hear what changes for your next patient visit.
Cholesterol Conversations is independently developed and produced by Vasculearn Network, with grant support from Esperion and Amgen.
00:00  Introduction and 2026 guideline overview
01:24  PREVENT-ASCVD risk assessment and personalized care
07:53  Statin, nonstatin, and combination therapy
13:39  Implementation barriers and medication adherence
18:27  Prior authorization and therapeutic inertia
20:47  Equity, access, and gaps in lipid care
22:39  Practical takeaways
Continuing Education and Learner Information
This online activity is available October 1, 2026, through October 1, 2027. To receive credit, listen to the entire episode and complete the evaluation. Partial credit is not available.
Accreditation: This activity was planned and implemented by Amedco LLC and Vasculearn Network. Amedco LLC is jointly accredited by ACCME, ACPE, and ANCC to provide continuing education for the healthcare team. Amedco Joint Accreditation Provider Number: 4008163.
Physicians: Maximum of 0.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Claim only the credit commensurate with your participation.

Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians: Maximum of 0.50 knowledge-based CPE contact hours. UAN: JA4008163-9999-26-228-H01-P.

Nurses: Maximum of 0.50 ANCC contact hours.

Learning objectives: After completing this activity, learners should be able to: 
Apply the 2026 ACC/AHA PREVENT-ASCVD risk framework to assess cardiovascular risk and establish LDL-C goals; 

Select non-statin therapies based on risk, gap to goal, tolerability, and guideline-directed sequencing;

Distinguish statin intolerance from nonadherence when considering non-statin therapy;

Describe the role of combination lipid-lowering therapy in achieving guideline-recommended LDL-C targets in patients with statin intolerance or residual risk, with attention to complementary mechanisms of action and real-world barriers to intensification

Commercial support: Esperion and Amgen provided financial support. No in-kind commercial support was received.
Financial relationship disclosures: 
Heather Johnson: Consultant relationships with Amgen, Novartis, Medtronic, and Esperion, and a speakers bureau relationship with Esperion. 

Viet Le: Consultant relationships with Amarin, Amgen, Arrowhead, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, BridgeBio, Esperion, Idorsia, iRhythm, Merck, Novartis, and Pfizer. 

Courtney Battaglia, Sarah Bor, Aviva Schwartz, and Naomi Terlouw disclosed no relevant financial relationships. 

All disclosed relationships were reviewed and resolved.
Claim your certificate: 
Visit vn.cmecertificateonline.com

Select "2026–2027 Cholesterol Conversations Podcast"

Complete the evaluation. 

Pharmacists must request their certificate within 30 days of participation for submission to CPE Monitor; the official Statement of Credit is available through CPE Monitor. 

For certificate assistance, visit help.cmecertificateonline.com. 

If you seek credit for a specialty not listed above, check eligibility with your licensing or certification board.

In this episode of Cholesterol Conversations, host Dr. Heather Johnson, Director of Preventive Cardiology for Women's Services at the Christine E. Lynn Women's Health & Wellness Institute of Baptist Health South Florida, sits down with Dr. Viet T. Le, Associate Professor of Research and Co-Director of the Preventive Cardiology Clinic at Intermountain Medical Center in Utah. Together, they explore the latest advancements in LDL cholesterol management and discuss how clinicians can optimize risk assessment, treatment strategies, and patient adherence to improve cardiovascular outcomes.
From discussing the new AHA PREVENT calculator to strategies for overcoming statin intolerance and emerging lipid-lowering therapies, this podcast provides practical insights into treating and preventing cardiovascular disease in 2025 – in just 30 minutes!
🎧 Listen Now to stay ahead in lipid management and help patients achieve better heart health.
This activity has been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. After listening to the podcast discussion, go to Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine's website: Cholesterol Conversations: Mastering LDL Management in 2025 | Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine/CCE.
Scroll down for more information about CME/CPE credits.
💡 For more educational content on LDL cholesterol management, visit: Vasculearn Network
 
Podcast Chapters:
1. Introduction & Overview (00:06 - 01:18)
2. Why is LDL Important? (01:18 - 03:47)
3. Risk Assessment & Screening Tools (03:47 - 08:39)
4. Special Risk Considerations (08:39 - 10:55)
5. Lipoprotein(a) & Additional Biomarkers (10:55 - 12:05)
6. Treatment Options: Statins & Beyond (12:05 - 17:24)
7. Overcoming Statin Intolerance (17:24 - 21:37)
8. Barriers to Treatment & Access Issues (21:37 - 25:00)
9. Future Directions & Emerging Therapies (25:00 - 28:23)
10. Final Takeaways (28:23 - 29:44)
 
Learning Objectives
At the end of this activity, the learner should be better able to:
Describe current recommendations for LDL-C screening

Identify patients at increased cardiovascular disease risk based on LDL-C levels

Describe indications for initiation of statin and nonstatin therapies

Identify barriers to therapy initiation and options for resolution

Devise evidence-based strategies for optimal lipid management in primary prevention populations

 
Launch Date: 3/31/2025
Expiration Date: 3/30/2026
 
Joint Accreditation
In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and Vasculearn Network. Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
 
Physician CME Hours
Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine designates this enduring material for a maximum of 0.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Nursing Contact Hours: 0.5, all of which are eligible for pharmacology credits.
 
Pharmacist Contact Hours
This activity is approved for 0.5 CPE credit(s) under the ACPE universal activity number JA0000185-9999-25-024-H01-P. The activity is available for credit claiming through March 30, 2026.
 
Speakers Disclosures
Dr. Heather Johnson, MD, MS
Course Director

Disclosures: Dr. Johnson is a consultant for Amgen, Medtronic and Novartis. She is a consultant and a speaker for Esperion.
 
Viet Le, DMSc, MPAS, PA-C
Podcast Speaker
 
Disclosures: Dr. Le is on the advisory board for Amarin, Amgen, Bayer, Idorsia, Lexicon, Merck, Novartis and Pfizer. He also receives grant research support from Johnson & Johnson and Janssen, Kardi and AliveCor and Novartis. 
 
Off-Label Discussion: will not be included.

Accreditor Disclosures
The following planning committee members from Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine's Office of Continuing Medical Education have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies: Michael Burk, BS – Operations Manager; Deborah Whalen, APRN, MS, MBA - CNE Accreditation Reviewer.
 
John Fanikos, Rph, MBA                            
Pharmacy Advisor

Disclosures: Dr. Fanikos is a consultant for Anthos Therapeutics. He is also a speaker and consultant for AstraZeneca and Pfizer.

Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Disclosure Policy
Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine asks all individuals involved in the development and presentation of Accredited Continuing Education activities to disclose all financial relationships with ineligible companies. This information is disclosed to all activity participants prior to the start of the educational activity. Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine has procedures to mitigate all relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies. In addition, faculty members are asked to disclose when any unapproved use of pharmaceuticals and devices is being discussed. 
 
In accordance with the Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education, all relevant financial relationships that faculty, planners, authors, and anyone who may be in control of content have with ineligible companies have been mitigated.
 
How to Earn Credit and Obtain Your Certificate 
 
Physician CME Credits and Nursing CNE Education Credits:
To successfully complete this activity, physicians and nurses are required to attend the live meeting and complete an evaluation on Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine's Center for Continuing Education (BU CCE) website: Cholesterol Conversations: Mastering LDL Management in 2025 | Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine/CCE.
 
How to Request a CME and CNE Certificate
By reviewing the course content and completing the evaluation, physicians are entitled to receive 0.5 Physician CME Hours, and nurses are entitled to receive 0.5 Nursing Contact Hours, all of which is eligible for pharmacology credit.  
 
After listening to the podcast discussion, the activity go to Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine's website: Cholesterol Conversations: Mastering LDL Management in 2025 | Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine/CCE.
 
To receive a certificate for your participation in this activity, you will need to create an account on the CME Office's website and complete the evaluation survey. Then your certificate will be available for immediate download.
 
Requirements for Pharmacist CE Credit
A program evaluation must be completed within 60 days of the live program date to receive CE credit.  Please refer to the evaluation instructions that follow for completing program evaluations.
 
Instructions for Completing a Program Evaluation and Earning CPE credit
After you have attended the live meeting go to the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine's Center for Continuing Education Learning Management System and create an account. Enter your ePID (license number) and choose American Council for Pharmacy Education in the Specialty Board section of your profile. This enables us to submit your credit to the CPE Monitor.

Complete the program evaluation and claim your certificate.  

Log onto: Cholesterol Conversations: Mastering LDL Management in 2025 | Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine/CCE

After registering your account, select "Take Course" button.

Complete program evaluation and hit the "Next" button at the bottom of the screen.

Then select your credit amount noting the correct participation minutes.

You can then download an optional certificate for your records.

You will receive a confirmation message of evaluation completion and notification that your CE data was reported to the CPE Monitor.

 
Please note: ACPE will only accept CPE data that is reported by providers within 60 days of the live program or completing the home-study. CPE data is reported immediately to the CPE Monitor upon your completion of this evaluation although it may take 48-72 hours to appear in your CPE Monitor profile.  You will be notified of any problems transmitting your participant data via email. Most transmission problems are related to errors in transcribing date of birth and/or NABP ID number. It is strongly recommended that you check your profile in the CPE Monitor to verify your participation in this program has been reported. CPE Monitor will reject CE data submitted after 60 days. *Your pharmacy license number and date of birth in order to report participant data to the CPE Monitor.  Pharmacy license numbers will not be used for any other purpose.
 
For questions about ACPE accreditation, contact Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Center for Continuing Education at: cme@bu.edu.
 
Commercial Support
This program is supported through educational grants from Esperion Therapeutics Inc. and Merck & Co., Inc.

In this episode of Cholesterol Conversations, Drs. Marc Bonaca, Pam Taub, and Heather Johnson discuss how multiagent therapy can improve the provision of care in the real world. Covered topics include new data from the 2023 ACC Scientific Sessions on the efficacy of novel agents and the role of combination therapy, as well as the importance of shared decision-making and keys to managing high-risk populations.

In this episode of Cholesterol Conversations, join Drs. Neha Pagidipati, Christie Ballantyne, and Gregory Piazza for a roundtable discussion that addresses recent guidance on ASCVD management, current gaps in ASCVD care, patient barriers to LDL-C lowering, and nonstatin therapies to consider for  patients who don't respond to statin therapy alone.