Summer 2017 LipidSpin Articles | National Lipid Association Online

JAMES A. UNDERBERG, MD, MS, FNLA	From the NLA President: State of the NLA Address With spring time comes the NLA Annual Sessions and the beginning of a new term for officers and board members. I could not be more excited to serve as president for 2017-2018, and do so with a strong group of dedicated leaders that make the job both productive and enjoyable. What better way to start than on the heels of the Philadelphia meeting. We hosted members and guest from all corners of the world, with speakers traveling from as far as Australia and China. Others were able to... more
Kari Uusinarkaus, MD, FAAFP, FNLA	From the SWLA President: President's Views I am humbled to serve as the president of the Southwest Lipid Association. Our territory is large and diverse. Our geography spans from the deep south and the Gulf of Mexico, to the deserts of Arizona and New Mexico, to the Rocky Mountain states. Our members come from many different practice settings, including; solo medical practice sites, VA centers, large academic practices, multi-specialty groups, single specialty groups, and everything in between. I have had the opportunity to interact... more
JOSEPH J. SASEEN, PharmD, BCPS, BCACP, CLS, FNLA	From the LipidSpin Editor: Important Pearls with Lipid-Lowering Medications It has been an honor to be co-editor of Lipid Spin for the past two years. Over this time, I have been profoundly impressed by the knowledge of the National Lipid Association (NLA) members who have graciously contributed to this publication. In an effort to promote greater opportunities for involvement in NLA leadership, the co-editor position will be term-limited. As such, I am very happy to welcome Dr. Kaye-Eileen Willard, who is taking over for me as the new Co-Editor of Lipid Spin... more
DEEPAK KUMAR HONAGANAHALLI, MD, MPH PAUL REILLY, RPh, MS ANTHONY BALLWEBER, RPh CHRISTINE DAHLKE, RPh MARGARET GRINSTEAD, RPh	Clinical Feature: Pharmacist-Managed Lipid Clinic in Community Health Center May Be an Answer for Providing Patient-Centered Care for Dyslipidemia The evaluation and management of dyslipidemia has advanced in recent years. Dyslipidemia is one of the major contributors of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistics, about 33.5% of adult Americans have elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). ¹ These patients commonly are diagnosed and treated by their primary care provider and less than one-half of those patients receive drug therapy.1 In... more
KRISHNASWAMI VIJAYARAGHAVAN, MD, FACC, FNLA	Guest Editorial: Collaboration and Teamwork *“None of us, including me, ever do great things. But we can all do small things, with great love, and together we can do something wonderful.”* – Mother Teresa A collaborative leadership has the influence to transform health-systems and healthcare organizations, improving the system today and for the future—to the benefit of patients, families, and caregivers. This issue of LipidSpin is focused on the theme of “Collaborative... more
KARI UUSINARKAUS, MD, FAAFP, FNLA	EBM Tools for Practice: From Atheroma to FOURIER: A Condensed History of Cholesterol Treatments It was around 1900 when Rudolf Virchow noted that the artery walls of patients dying of occlusive vascular disease contained a yellowish fatty substance. The word chosen to describe this pathological condition was the Greek word for porridge, atheroma. This material later was identified to be cholesterol. At the time, a causal link between cholesterol levels and coronary artery disease (CAD) was not clear, because the plasma cholesterol levels of many patients with CAD did not... more
SCOTT SHURMUR, MD, FNLA	Lipid Luminations: FOURIER Analysis – The Waves of Data Begin to Roll-In Since loss-of-function mutations in proprotein convertase subtilisin-kexin type 9 (PCSK9) were found to be associated with reduction in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (LDL-C) and coronary events¹, there has been great anticipation of the development of effective therapeutic agents to inhibit PCSK9. Two monoclonal antibodies to PCSK9, alirocumab and evolocumab, became commercially available in the U.S. in summer 2015. Evidence of the lipid-lowering efficacy of these... more
JOSEPH L. LILLO, DO, FNLA, FAPCR, CPI	Specialty Corner: Diabetes and Dyslipidemia – The Role of the Clinical Lipidologist As clinical lipidologists, we long have aspired to treat the most common cause of mortality, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Along the way we also have been treating diabetes, when other providers may not have been managing blood glucose in addition to lipid management.¹ To further complicate the clinical picture, it appears that our primary therapy – statins – has the potential to increase the risk of new onset diabetes in patients at high risk.² The... more
JOEL MARRS, PharmD, BCPS, BCACP, CLS, ASH-CHC, FNLA	Practical Pearls: The Potential for Hypoglycemic Agents to Affect Lipid Parameters Clinical Question: What are the common hypoglycemic agents that can affect lipid parameters and which parameters are effected? Many patients with diabetes mellitus have indications for statin based lipid-lowering therapy because of their high risk of cardiovascular disease as recommended by the American College of Cardiology/ American Heart Association, American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, American Diabetes Association and the National Lipid... more
NICOLE CIFFONE, MSN, ANP-C, CLS, FNLA	Case Study: Improving Care through Collaboration Mr. P is a 63-year-old male with a known history of coronary artery disease (CAD) who developed chest pressure and tightness while riding his motorcycle in the White Mountains in Northern Arizona. Since there wasn’t much traffic, he continued to ride but soon began to feel clammy and nauseated. Fortunately, he was able to get to the next town and went to the local hospital, where he underwent cardiac evaluation. He was found to have non-ST-segment elevation-acute coronary syndrome. Cardiac... more
JUDITH COLLINS, MSN, APRN-BC, CVN-BC, CLS, FPCNA, FNLA	Chapter Update: Moving Forward Together The Southwest Lipid Association (SWLA), Chapter of the National Lipid Association (NLA), met in Phoenix, AZ during the Spring Clinical Lipid Update. A major theme the SWLA is focusing on is getting more involvement and engagement of members in a team based approach. Clinical lipidology is a growing field but can sometimes feel quite lonely with so few of us in the specialty of clinical lipidology. It is not uncommon to have one or two people certified in an entire practice and that one or... more
SUSAN DIMICK, MD, MS, FACP	Member Spotlight: Susan Dimick, MD, MS Interviewed by NLA Membership Manager Brandi Rawls. What triggered your interest in medicine? Most of us who go into medical fields are natural rescuers. As a little girl, I filled up drawers in my house for broken popsicle sticks, rocks and other inanimate objects that looked broken or old – infirmaries in every drawer – my poor mother. What motivates you to continue your career in medicine? My joy comes from seeing... more
ANNE C. GOLDBERG, MD, FNLA	Foundation Update The National Lipid Association and the Foundation are thankful once again for another successful year of meetings and fundraising. But we still have much work to do. The Foundation hosted the NLA’s 15th Anniversary Celebration Gala this past May in conjunction with the NLA Annual Scientific Sessions in Philadelphia to celebrate the ongoing achievements of both organizations, while benefiting the Foundation. The night included the first annual Clinician/Educator Award honoring an NLA... more