A 40-75-year-old patient without ASCVD or diabetes; what lipid value range warrants 10-year PCE assessment?

• A. 10-30 mg/dl
• B. 70-190 mg/dl
• C. 100-120 mg/dl
• D. 200-240 mg/dl

Answer: (B)

Estimating 10-year ASCVD risk with the Pooled Cohort Equations is used in primary prevention for adults aged 40–75 who have no ASCVD and no diabetes to help decide about statin therapy. The lipid value that makes sense to input into this risk calculator is the total cholesterol in a mid-range window, roughly 70–190 mg/dL. When total cholesterol falls in this range, the calculator provides meaningful risk estimates to guide treatment decisions. If total cholesterol is higher, such as 200–240 mg/dL, the lipid abnormality itself already places the patient in a higher-risk category where statin therapy is often indicated regardless of the calculated 10-year risk. If it’s very low, like 10–30 mg/dL, the baseline risk tends to be low and the calculation adds less value. Therefore, the range that warrants 10-year PCE assessment is 70–190 mg/dL.