Fall 2017 LipidSpin Articles | National Lipid Association Online

DEBORAH S. CROY, DNP, RN, ANP-BC, AGPCNP-BC, CLS, FNLA, AACC	From the SELA President: President’s Views I am honored and humbled to have been chosen as president of the Southeast Lipid Association (SELA), an organization whose members include esteemed leaders and experts in the field of lipidology. SELA is proud to present this edition of LipidSpin, which focuses on nutrition. Hippocrates once said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” While nutrition is not the only answer, it does play a significant role in the health of our patients. The media is... more
DANIEL E. SOFFER, MD, FNLA, FACP	From the LipidSpin Editor: Let Food Be Thy Medicine and Medicine Be Thy Food “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” -- misattribution to Hippocrates (ca 460-370 BCE)¹ “A collective spasm of what can only be described as carbophobia seized the country, supplanting an era of national lipophobia dating to the Carter administration. …So violent a change in a culture’s eating habits is surely the sign of a national eating disorder.” -- Michael Pollan (Omnivore’s Dilemma,... more
DEBRA A. FRIEDRICH, DNP, FNP-BC, CLS, BC-ADM, FNLA, FAANP NANCY T. SMITH, RDN, LDN, CDE, CLS, FNLA DEAN A. BRAMLET, MD, FACC, FACP, FNLA, FAHA	Clinical Feature: Cardiovascular Nutrition Fads and Controversies A cardioprotective eating pattern is a proven mainstay of therapy for both the treatment and prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Many controversial diets, foods and supplements have made their way into the media and into our kitchen with promises to improve cardiovascular health, promote weight loss, and reduce disease risk. This article reviews current popular nutrition fads and controversies regarding healthy eating that may actually be increasing your patient’s... more
HENA PATEL, MD ANDREW M. FREEMAN, MD, FACC KIM A. WILLIAMS, SR., MD, MACC	Guest Editorial: Healthy Dietary Patterns, Not Specific Nutrient Targets A healthy diet is a powerful tool for the prevention and management of cardiovascular disease (CVD).1 Despite low-fat recommendations, the prevalence of obesity continues to increase steadily,2 because fat intake has not decreased in the United States.3 Accompanying this rise is the proliferation of new diet plans claiming to promote weight loss, improve health and reduce disease risks. While these rapid advances in nutrition science have created confusion among both the general... more
THOMAS A. BARRINGER, MD, FNLA	EBM Tools for Practice: How Shall We Eat? The Challenging Task of Evidence-Based Nutrition The principles of evidence-based medicine (EBM) initially were established to evaluate medical interventions.1,2 These same standards first were applied in the development of nutrition recommendations by the Institute of Medicine for the 1997 Dietary Reference Intakes and, soon thereafter, by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans in 2005.3,4 Nutrition science clearly has benefited from becoming more rigorously evidenced-based, using better study designs and statistical analyses in the... more
ALETHEA HILL, PhD, ACNP-BC, ANP-BC CASEY ELKINS, DNP, MEd, NP-C, CLS, FNLA	Lipid Luminations: Coffee and Your Health: Should You Have a Little or a Latte? Choosing the right morning drink may prove to be beneficial to your heart. Close to 50% of adults in the U.S. have 1 cup of coffee or more daily.1 Thus, determining the cardiovascular impact of such a widely consumed beverage could provide valuable insights into health-promoting behaviors. Findings from two large prospective studies recently published in the Annals of Internal Medicine show moderate consumption of coffee (> or equal to 3 cups) lowers all-cause mortality in diverse... more
DAVE L. DIXON, PharmD, CLS, FNLA, FCCP, FACC	Specialty Corner: The PREDIMED Study: Should the Mediterranean Diet Be Recommended to Prevent Cardiovascular Disease? Introduction “Let food by thy medicine and medicine thy food,” are words that have been widely attributed to Hippocrates, the father of Western medicine. Yet it’s one of the most misquoted phrases of all time, since it has never been found in the more than 60 texts known as The Hippocratic Corpus.1 While food certainly was used in Hippocratic medicine, the purpose of food was to ensure the balance of the four humors – blood, phlegm, yellow... more
COLLEEN GROVES, RD, LD, CDE	Practical Pearls: Diet and Disparities Providing education on healthy eating to the underserved population can be challenging. As a dietitian in a rural federally qualified health center, I often am asked to see patients with abnormal lipids, diabetes, obesity and/or cardiovascular disease who have difficulty affording the foods recommended by their healthcare provider. Many of these patients have to stretch small food budgets or receive from social services small stipends that comprise their entire food budget. These same... more
THOMAS R. WHITE, MD, FAAFP, FNLA	Practice Management: Can a Primary Care Lipidologist Survive in Today’s Medical Environment? What’s my story, and why might it be of interest to LipidSpin readers? I have practiced family medicine for nearly 30 years in my small North Carolina hometown of 5,000-plus. Years ago I developed an interest in cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention, in part because of what I saw in my practice and also because of my father’s personal and family history I have strived to make it a major focus of my primary-care practice. Thanks to the support and education... more
PAMELA B. MORRIS, MD, FACC, FAHA, FASPC, FNLA	Chapter Update: A Focus on New Members and Mentorship Welcoming New Members The National Lipid Association (NLA) Fall Clinical Lipid Update (CLU) 2017 was hosted by the Southeast Lipid Association (SELA) and the Midwest Lipid Association (MWLA) in Indianapolis, Indiana. One of the most exciting aspects of this year’s meeting was the number of new NLA members from all disciplines in attendance—their enthusiasm and engagement were truly palpable throughout the weekend’s events. During the pre- conference Lipid... more
CASEY ELKINS, DNP, MEd, NP-C, CLS, FNLA	Member Spotlight: Casey Elkins, DNP, MEd, NP-C, CLS, FNLA Q: What motivated you to go into nursing? A: I have always had an innate desire to help others. Initially, I anticipated a career in law. I remember taking a career assessment in high school and laughing when the recommendation was a career in healthcare. With the mental image of working long nights and holidays, I did not consider healthcare a viable career option. In my freshman year of college, I still had other plans. Ironically, my mom completed her first... more
Paul Ziajka, MD, FNLA	Foundation Update Dear NLA Membership, Ordinarily the Foundation Update is reserved for informing the NLA membership about Foundation initiatives; however, this issue we want to dedicate this section of the LipidSpin to Ralph Vicari, MD, FNLA. Dr. Vicari was the President-Elect of the Foundation and great friend to many. Paul Ziajka, MD, FNLA knew Dr. Vicari well and has written the dedication below to honor his memory. ... more
JAMES A. UNDERBERG, MD, MS, FNLA	From the NLA President: State of the NLA Address As I look back at our recent Board of Directors meeting in Anaheim, I am reminded of how fortunate I am to serve as the National Lipid Association President with such a wonderful, dignified collection of leaders committed to advancing clinical lipidology. The NLA continues to mature, and to cultivate that evolution, we are ensuring our organizational policies grow alongside the organization. One major enhancement is the redefinition of the Scientific Meetings Committee to ensure... more