On April 29, 2024, NIST released a draft publication based on the AI Risk Management Framework (AI RMF) to help manage the risk of Generative AI. The draft AI RMF Generative AI Profile can help organizations identify unique risks posed by generative AI and proposes actions for generative AI risk management that best aligns with their goals and priorities. Developed over the past year and drawing on input from the NIST generative AI public working group of more than 2,500 members, the guidance centers on a list of 12 risks and more than 400 actions that developers can take to manage them. More information is available here.
In collaboration with the private and public sectors, NIST has developed a framework to better manage risks to individuals, organizations, and society associated with artificial intelligence (AI). The NIST AI Risk Management Framework (AI RMF) is intended for voluntary use and to improve the ability to incorporate trustworthiness considerations into the design, development, use, and evaluation of AI products, services, and systems.
Released on January 26, 2023, the Framework was developed through a consensus-driven, open, transparent, and collaborative process that included a Request for Information, several draft versions for public comments, multiple workshops, and other opportunities to provide input. It is intended to build on, align with, and support AI risk management efforts by others.
A companion NIST AI RMF Playbook also has been published by NIST along with an AI RMF Roadmap, AI RMF Crosswalk, and various Perspectives. In addition, NIST is making available a video explainer about the AI RMF.
The "2013 ACC/AHA Guideline on the Assessment of Cardiovascular Risk" provides clear recommendations for estimating cardiovascular disease risk. Risk assessments are extremely useful when it comes to reducing risk for cardiovascular disease because they help determine whether a patient is at high risk for cardiovascular disease, and if so, what can be done to address any cardiovascular risk factors a patient may have. Here are the highlights of the guideline:
Risk assessments are used to determine the likelihood of a patient developing cardiovascular disease, heart attack or stroke in the future. In general, patients at higher risk for cardiovascular disease require more intensive treatment to help prevent the development of cardiovascular disease.
Risk assessments are calculated using a number of factors including age, gender, race, cholesterol and blood pressure levels, diabetes and smoking status, and the use of blood pressure-lowering medications. Typically, these factors are used to estimate a patient's risk of developing cardiovascular disease in the next 10 years. For example, someone who is young with no risk factors for cardiovascular disease would have a very low 10-year risk for developing cardiovascular disease. However, someone who is older with risk factors like diabetes and high blood pressure will have a much higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease in the next 10 years.
If a preventive treatment plan is unclear based on the calculation of risk outlined above, care providers should take into account other factors such as family history and level of C-reactive protein. Taking this additional information into account should help inform a treatment plan to reduce a patient's 10-year risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
Calculating the 10-year risk for cardiovascular disease using traditional risk factors is recommended every 4-6 years in patients 20-79 years old who are free from cardiovascular disease. However, conducting a more detailed 10-year risk assessment every 4-6 years is reasonable in adults ages 40-79 who are free of cardiovascular disease. Assessing a patient's 30-year risk of developing cardiovascular disease can also be useful for patients 20-59 years of age who are free of cardiovascular disease and are not at high short-term risk for cardiovascular disease.
Risk estimations vary drastically by gender and race. Patients with the same traditional risk factors for cardiovascular disease such as high blood pressure can have a different 10-year risk for cardiovascular disease as a result of their sex and race.
After care providers and patients work together to conduct a risk assessment, it's important that they discuss the implications of their findings. Together, patients and their care providers should weigh the risks and benefits of various treatments and lifestyle changes to help reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
The "2013 AHA/ACC Guideline on Lifestyle Management to Reduce Cardiovascular Risk" provides recommendations for heart-healthy lifestyle choices based on the latest research and evidence. The guidelines focus on two important lifestyle choices--diet and physical activity--which can have a drastic impact on cardiovascular health. Here's what every patient should know about the latest recommendations for reducing cardiovascular disease risk through diet and exercise.
The "2013 AHA/ACC/TOS Guideline for the Management of Overweight and Obesity in Adults" was created to reflect the latest research to outline best practices when it comes to treating obesity--a condition that affects more than one-third of American adults. These guidelines help address questions like "What's the best way to lose weight?" and "When is bariatric surgery appropriate?". Here is what every patient should know about the treatment of overweight and obesity:
Definition of obesity: Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it can have an adverse effect on one's health. Obesity can be diagnosed using body mass index (BMI), a measurement of height and weight, as well as waist circumference. Obesity is categorized as having a BMI of 30 or greater. Abdominal obesity is defined as having a waist circumference greater than 40 inches for a man or 35 inches for a woman.
Benefits of weight loss: Obesity increases the risk for serious conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and death, but losing just a little bit of weight can result in significant health benefits. For an adult who is obese, losing just 3-5% of body weight can improve blood pressure and cholesterol levels and reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Ideally, care providers recommend 5-10% weight loss for obese adults, which can produce even greater health benefits.
Weight loss strategies: There is no single diet or weight loss program that works best for all patients. In general, reduced caloric intake and a comprehensive lifestyle intervention involving physical activity and behavior modification tailored according to a patient's preferences and health status is most successful for sustained weight loss. Further, weight loss interventions should include frequent visits with health care providers and last more than one year for sustained weight loss.
The American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA) recently developed new standards for treating blood cholesterol. These recommendations are based on a thorough and careful review of the very latest, highest quality clinical trial research. They help care providers deliver the best care possible. This page provides some of the highlights from the new practice guidelines. The ultimate goal of the new cholesterol practice guidelines is to reduce a person's risk of heart attack, stroke and death. For this reason, the focus is not just on measuring and treating cholesterol, but identifying whether someone already has or is at risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and could benefit from treatment.
Heart attack and stroke are usually caused by atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). ASCVD develops because of a build-up of sticky cholesterol-rich plaque. Over time, this plaque can harden and narrow the arteries.
These practice guidelines outline the most effective treatments that lower blood cholesterol in those individuals most likely to benefit. Most importantly, they were selected as the best strategies to lower cholesterol to help reduce future heart attack or stroke risk. Share this information with your health care provider so that you can ask questions and work together to decide what is right for you.
If a medication is needed, statins are recommended as the first choice to lower heart attack and stroke risk among certain higher-risk patients based on an overwhelming amount of evidence. For those unable to take a statin, there are other cholesterol-lowering drugs; however, there is less research to support their use.
Your health care provider will first want to assess your risk of ASCVD (assuming you don't already have it). This information will help determine if you are at high enough risk of a heart attack or stroke to need treatment.
your risk factors. In addition to your total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and HDL (so-called "good") cholesterol, your health care provider will consider your age, if you have diabetes, and whether you smoke and/or have high blood pressure.
A lipid or blood cholesterol panel will be needed as part of this evaluation. This blood test measures the amount of fatty substances (called lipids) in your blood. You may have to fast (not eat for a period of time) before having your blood drawn.
If there is any question about your risk of ASCVD, or whether you might benefit from drug therapy, your care provider may make additional assessments or order additional tests. The results of these tests can help you and your health care team decide what might be the best treatment for you. These tests may include:
If you have very high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL or "bad") cholesterol, your care provider may want to find out if you have a genetic or familial form of hypercholesterolemia. This condition can be passed on in families.
Before coming up with a specific treatment plan, your care provider will talk with you about options for lowering your blood cholesterol and reducing your personal risk of atherosclerotic disease. This will likely include a discussion about heart-healthy living and whether you might benefit from a cholesterol-lowering medication.
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