Fall 2022 LipidSpin Articles | National Lipid Association Online

Kevin C. Maki, PhD, CLS, FNLA	Letter from the NLA President: Hello, Everyone! I feel so fortunate to be able to write this. I am honored to lead the NLA as the 2022-2023 president. Having been involved in the NLA for nearly its full 20-year history, I look forward to helping shape the organization’s efforts for the next year. The expansion of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Task Force and its efforts, adding to NLA membership, continuing the development of Scientific Statements and Clinical Perspectives, restoration of the LDL-C quality measure, and the NLA’... more
Guy L. Mintz, FACC, FACCP, FASPC, FNLA	Letter from the NELA President: Cardiometabolic Disease: Collaboration is the Key Atherosclerosis is a progressive disease that affects us throughout our lifetime. Although we know a lot about its process, much more needs to be elucidated. One of my professors said, “the best statin in the world will only reduce cardiovascular events by 50%; our challenge is what causes the other 50% of clinical events.” Today, we are at the precipice of forging an answer to this challenge—it is not solely about cholesterol. Inflammation clearly plays a role in atherosclerotic progression... more
Gregory S Pokrywka, MD, FACP, FNLA, FASPC, NCMP	Letter from the SELA President: Reducing Cardiometabolic Disease in a Multifaceted, Kaleidoscopic Way *“Rust Never Sleeps” – Neil Young* *“A man (woman) is only as old as his (her) arteries”- Sir William Osler* We know that cardiometabolic disease is foundational for many chronic illnesses - atherosclerosis, diabetes, dyslipidemia, stroke, hypertension, even cancer and late onset Alzheimer’s dementia. The majority of ASCVD events are driven not only by high LDL, but by the atherogenic triad of elevated apoB, triglyceride-rich... more
Kaye-Eileen Willard, MD, FNLA	Editor's Corner: Staying Focused ka·lei·do·scope \| \ kə-ˈlī-də-ˌskōp \ Definition of ‘kaleidoscope’ The name is derived from the Greek words kalos (“beautiful”), eïdos (“form”), and skopeïn (“to view”). 1. an instrument containing loose bits of colored material (such as glass or plastic) between two flat plates and two plane mirrors so placed that changes of position of the bits of material are reflected in an endless variety of... more
Mariana L. Henry, MPH Merle Myerson, MD, EdD, FACC, FNLA	Clinical Feature: Cardiometabolic Syndrome: A Package Deal Introduction Cardiometabolic syndrome, also known as “metabolic syndrome,” refers to a constellation of metabolic abnormalities and cardiovascular risk factors clustered in a given patient. The definitions have varied over time, but all retain key features (Table). There has been debate as to whether these abnormalities should be considered as a “syndrome”, however many clinicians feel that recognition of the shared pathology facilitates diagnosis and management of... more
Michael D. Cheshire, DO, FACOI, FACP Robert C. Block, MD, MPH, FACP, FNLA	EBM Tools for Practice: Is There a Role for Aspirin in Prevention in 2022? With recent guideline changes, it is common for clinicians to field questions regarding aspirin therapy. This article is intended to help clinicians apply an individualized and evidence-based approach to the appropriate use of aspirin in specific at-risk patient populations. Aspirin’s Role in Secondary Prevention Aspirin exerts antiplatelet activity through selective and irreversible acetylation of cyclooxygenase (COX), which inhibits its activity and the... more
Mohini Aras, MD Beverly G. Tchang, MD Louis J. Aronne, MD	Guest Editorial: Inflammation in Obesity and Cardiovascular Disease Introduction Obesity is a chronic, relapsing, heterogenous disease characterized by impaired energy regulation and inflammation that leads to cardiometabolic, biomechanical, and psychosocial health consequences.^1-3 The prevalence of obesity has reached epidemic proportions, contributing to... more
Dharmesh Patel, MD, FACC Deepak Vedamurthy, MD	Lipid Luminations: AHA Scientific Statement on Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) contributes to cardiovascular disease risk through dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, altered coagulation states, and increased inflammation. NAFLD occurs in greater than 25% of individuals worldwide. Its prevalence is highest in the U.S. Hispanic population, followed by White and Black individuals.¹ The incidence is twofold greater in men compared with women.¹ The purpose of this article is to highlight the key points from the... more
Sarah Miller, MS, RDN, CDN, CDCES	Practical Pearls: Polyphenols Protective Effects Cardiometabolic Disease and Polyphenols Cardiometabolic disease is the concurrence of several disease states, including impaired glucose tolerance, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and visceral adiposity. These risk factors predispose patients to chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, stroke and heart disease. Lifestyle modification has been used effectively to reduce several of these risk factors and even delay or prevent the onset of cardiometabolic disease... more
Alisa Nance, MD, RPh, FNLA George Chaconas, MD, FNLA	Case Study: Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) Receptor Agonists in the Treatment of Obesity Background Incretins are hormones secreted by intestinal cells in response to the ingestion of glucose and other nutrients. These hormones stimulate pancreatic β cells to secrete insulin and are essential to maintaining normal glucose homeostasis. The insulinotropic effect of incretins is greater than that induced by intravenous glucose infusion.¹ The discovery of incretins (INtestine seCRETion INsulin) dates back more than 100 years, with the finding that... more
Kathleen H. Byrne, CRNP, CLS, FNLA, FPCNA Caroline F. deRichemond, CRNP, CLS, FNLA Karen J. Lurito, MD, FAAP	Specialty Corner: Adulting: Guidance for Transitioning Patients from Pediatric to Adult Lipid Clinics Introduction ‘Adulting’ refers to the practice of behaving in a manner or characteristic of a responsible adult in order to successfully complete necessary, although at times mundane tasks.¹ Mastering seven basic skill sets are considered necessary to successfully become an adult, referred to as the pillars of adulting.² These include financial basics, basic cooking skills, health and wellness, household handiness, basic organizational skills,... more
Laney K. Jones, PharmD, MPH, CLS, FNLA	NELA Chapter Update: Recovery and Growth This edition of the Lipidspin on cardiometabolic disease, is co-sponsored by NELA and SELA. The 2022 NELA Chapter and Board would like to personally thank all NELA/SELA authors and contributors to this issue as well as the editors for helping to put together this edition. NELA met twice over the past year to discuss how to expand its membership. The NELA membership continues to grow and now includes over 432 lipid colleagues. Please congratulate our recent clinical lipid specialists... more
Kellie McLain, ANP-BC, CLS, FNLA	SELA Chapter Update: Back to Business The first SELA board meeting of the year took place on 7/11/22 and virtually commenced by welcoming members to their new respective positions. Responsibilities and expectations were explained as set forth in the NLA by-laws. The board also discussed plans for the LipidSpin and are thrilled to have collaborated with NELA for this issue with a direct focus on cardiometabolic disease. As we all know, there are a multitude of co-morbidities and complications associated with... more
Aniruddha Singh, MD, FACC, FNLA	DEI Member Spotlight: Aniruddha Singh, MD Q: Why do you support DE&I for NLA? A: I believe that people from all walks of life, regardless of their color, sex, socioeconomic status, and religion should be equally respected. We should see them as who they are rather than what they appear as externally. I feel that the concept of DE & I is even more powerful in healthcare where we interact with diverse people every day in our practice. Q: Do you have a story of being a victim or... more
James A. Underberg, MD, FNLA	Evening Affair with the Foundation of the NLA Blackjack, Poker, and 21 Card Pickup tables framed the low-lit, white-draped room. Strobe lights moved with the music and the feet on the dance floor drove the beat. The pulse of the 2022 Foundation of the NLA Gala, which celebrated the NLA’s 20th anniversary and supported the Foundation’s efforts, was “tachycardic”. The Foundation Gala was held during the 2022 Annual Scientific Sessions on June 4th in Scottsdale, Arizona. We had more than 100 people attend this casino themed event where... more