Abstract: This invention relates to a therapeutic decision diagram that determines a therapeutic guidance for achieving lipoprotein goals for a subject having various levels of cardiovascular disease risk. The therapeutic decision diagram can be used in methods to diagnose, identify or screen subjects that have, do not have or are at risk for cardiovascular disease; to differentially diagnose cardiovascular risk/disease states; to evaluate the severity or changes in severity of cardiovascular risk/disease in a subject; to monitor the efficacy of the therapies for cardiovascular disease on subjects that are undergoing such therapies; and to determine or suggest a new therapy or a change in therapy.