According to interim data from Phase 1 of the initiative, of the approximately 1.9 million patients with ASCVD in the PINNACLE Registry, 21.1 percent had no history of lipid-lowering therapy use and 84.5 percent did not meet the LDL-C goal of <70 mg/dL.

In a subset of approximately 1.3 million patients who were only prescribed a statin, 67 percent did not achieve their LDL-C goal of <70 mg/dL. Overall, the percentages of patients only on a statin achieving LDL-C <70 mg/dL, between 70 and 99 mg/dL and ≥100 mg/dL were 32.9 percent, 41.1 percent and 25.9 percent, respectively.

Among patients with ASCVD, younger patients (18 to 64 years old), women, African-Americans and those with hypertension were least likely to achieve LDL-C <70 mg/dL while on a statin.

"Large groups of patients with ASCVD are not achieving low enough LDL-C levels, which puts them at greater risk of recurrent cardiovascular events and death," sys Dharam Kumbhani, MD, SM, FACC, senior author of the study and an associate professor of medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

"It's apparent that large gaps exist and that more efforts are needed in implementing the cholesterol guidelines. Next steps are examining what barriers exist in achieving these treatment goals and how to address these barriers."

In response to these large gaps in LDL-C goal achievement, the ACC, in partnership with Sanofi and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, established the TRANSFORM LDL-C Risk initiative to identify high-risk patients with a history of cardiovascular events related to ASCVD and to begin exploring barriers to LDL-C goal achievement.

This initiative involves a collaborative, regional network of practices that can share best practices and influence future ACC work in this space. Additional phases of the program and corresponding results will be released in the future.

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Over two years, through the program, there was an increase in patients receiving medications and significant decreases in total cholesterol and LDL levels in the clinics that provided free medications. Programs like this may improve adherence and medical costs and are also a way to reach society's most vulnerable patients.

"In summary, our North Carolina project shows the feasibility of a partnership between a medical specialty society and an association of free and charitable clinics and demonstrates the potential impact this partnership could have on the health of vulnerable patients," the authors write.

"Based on our success, similar programs could be developed that include different medications, different disease groups, and different medical specialty societies."

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Looking ahead, the CMP will be available for the following specialties in 2020:

• Cardiovascular Disease (delivered through ACCSAP)
• Interventional Cardiology (delivered through CathSAP, which is developed in collaboration with SCAI)
• Clinical Cardiac Arrhythmias & Electrophysiology (delivered through EPSAP, which is developed in collaboration with HRS)
• Advanced Heart Failure & Transplant Cardiology (delivered through HFSAP, which is developed in collaboration with HFSA)

Assessment dates for 2020 are being finalized and expected to be announced in Q1. To learn more about the CMP option, visit ACC.org/CMP.

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Interested applicants should meet the following qualifications:

• Current academic appointment in clinical electrophysiology, and strong evidence of scholarly pursuits.
• Broad and in-depth knowledge of the field of cardiac arrhythmias.
• Substantial experience in writing, editing and reviewing scientific articles.
• Ability to plan, coordinate and manage tasks associated with journal publication and production.
• Demonstrated ability in administration and leadership.
• Intention to cultivate the journal as a primary interest; estimated time commitment of 30 percent.
• Understanding of and appreciation for the potential and possibilities of new media, digital and electronic publication; and social media.
• Understanding of the Open Access publishing model, trends and competitive landscape.
• The ideal candidate will have served in a significant leadership role in a journal (e.g., Editor, Deputy Editor, Associate Editor or Assistant Editor).

The deadline to apply is Jan. 1. Applicants should send a letter of application addressing their qualifications for the position, along with a brief vision statement for the journal.

Letters should be addressed to ACC Publications Committee, and sent via e-mail to kmurphy@acc.org and mpayne@acc.org.

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A recent JACC Editor's Page from Editor-in-Chief Valentin Fuster, MD, PhD, MACC; George A. Mensah, MD, of NHLBI; and Gregory A. Roth, MD, MPH, of IHME, outlines the reasons behind the collaboration and provide an overview of what data will be presented. Of note, the 15 most common causes of cardiovascular disease deaths (including congenital heart defects) and 13 related risk factors will form the core of data presented.

"Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), consisting of ischemic heart disease, stroke, heart failure, peripheral arterial disease, and a number of other cardiac and vascular conditions, constitute the leading cause of global mortality and are a major contributor to reduced quality of life," they write. "…Taken together with data on CVD and risk factor prevalence, these summary measures of health can be invaluable for cardiologists, other clinicians, and public health experts. They provide crucial population-level information that can guide action for CVD and risk factor prevention, treatment, and control at global, regional, national, and subnational levels."

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