As the cardiovascular community continues to unpack the newly released 2026 ACC/AHA/Multisociety Guideline on the Management of Dyslipidemia, ABC is proud to highlight that former ABC Preventive Cardiology Committee Co-Chair Karol E. Watson, MD, is among the leading voices helping to contextualize what these guidelines mean for clinicians and patients.

Dr. Watson, of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, co-authored an invited editorial commentary published in Circulation alongside the new guidelines. Titled “A More Precise—But More Complicated—Framework for Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and Treatment,” the commentary — co-authored with Gregg C. Fonarow, MD — offers expert perspective on the clinical implications of the updated recommendations. Dr. Watson describes the new framework as delivering a more precise, individualized, and equitable approach to preventing heart disease, while also acknowledging the added complexity clinicians will need to navigate in practice.

ABC Members at the Forefront

Dr. Watson’s commentary is one part of a larger story of ABC member impact on these landmark guidelines. ABC members were instrumental in the guideline development process itself:

  • Ijeoma Isiadinso, MD, MPH — Official ABC Representative, Writing Committee Member
  • Keith C. Ferdinand, MD — Official ABC Content Reviewer
  • LaPrincess C. Brewer, MD, MPH — ABC Member, Writing Committee Member
  • Heather M. Johnson, MD, MS — ABC Member, Writing Committee Member

Together, these contributions reflect ABC’s deep and sustained presence in shaping the evidence-based standards that guide cardiovascular care nationwide.

Why It Matters

The new guidelines represent a significant step toward more personalized and equitable lipid management — values that sit at the core of ABC’s mission. Having ABC members not only help write the guidelines, but also lead the public scholarly conversation around them, ensures that perspectives focused on health equity remain central to how these recommendations are understood and implemented.

ABC will continue to integrate these guidelines into its educational initiatives — including efforts aligned with the Cardiology Deserts campaign — to support clinicians in delivering high-quality, equitable cardiovascular care to all communities.

Read Dr. Watson’s Commentary in Circulation

Read More About ABC Members’ Contributions to the 2026 Dyslipidemia Guidelines