Letter From the LipidSpin Editors: Full Speed Ahead

Dr. Soffer:
Greetings from Philadelphia. Dr. Saseen and I are very excited to be the new editors of the LipidSpin. Like many of you, I am a long-time reader and occasional contributor, and I consider it a great honor to be entrusted with this responsibility.

As the editors, Joe and I are charged with the task of curating a forum that serves as the member voice of the NLA.

The LipidSpin is an opportunity for the membership to engage and contribute, to mentor and be mentored, to learn and teach, and to be heard. The quarterly issues focus on particular content, then the potpourri issue allows for discussion of broader topics.

Every issue is a chance to explore the major topics in our field (Clinical Feature), hear from our best known colleagues (Guest Editorial), review major findings (Evidence Based Medicine Tools), review specific topics (Lipid Luminations), incorporate the lessons learned from a multidisciplinary approach (Specialty Corner), consider real world application (Practical Pearls and Case Study), update other regions about the goings on by the host chapter (Chapter Update), offer a handy guide for patient care (Tear Sheet), and finally, focus on the individuals amongst us who are going the extra mile, carving out a particular niche, and standing out in the field (Member Spotlight).

The LipidSpin is the voice of the NLA, and while members share much in common, the many voices of our membership have different perspectives and we hope to hear from as many of you as possible. The NLA looks to attract physicians, pharmacists, nurses, physician assistants, dietitians, exercise physiologists, and researchers. We hope that all of the members from different disciplines feel comfortable contributing to the LipidSpin. If you’ve contributed before, reach out to write with a colleague who hasn’t.

This is an exciting time to be a clinical lipidologist. The long anticipated FDA approval of PCSK9 inhibitors is now upon us and we will all have interesting stories to tell, as the prescription of this potent medicine becomes a reality. Novel therapies in the pipeline offer a great deal of hope and interest for treating our patients with high TGs, high Lp(a), and low HDL-c levels, and the next few years is sure to broaden the role of genetic profiling.

Every year we see a bounty of information confirming the importance of lifestyle management of cardiometabolic risk, yet public health measures to address this need are very slow in the uptake. We have all seen our patients start to take a greater interest as soon as the employer offers hard cash for cardiometabolic health assessment. Hopefully, this will translate into real change. But for now, the diabesity epidemic continues, and we will be looking for your particular insights into real world management strategies.

Clinical trialists have become more mindful of the need to include more than just middle-aged white men as subjects. The NLA has gone out of its way to address the needs of the entire population and is expanding recommendations to be more inclusive in targeting some of our most vulnerable patients. The LipidSpin will continue to strive to address the needs of all. I hope that everyone feels as excited as I am about the changes ahead and will think of LipidSpin as the preferred outlet to share their observations and experiences with all of us.

Dr. Saseen:
“Drugs don’t work in patients who don’t take them” — C. Everet Koop

It is a pleasure to join Dr. Soffer as co- editor of LipidSpin. We look forward to the opportunity to contribute to this outstanding publication and promote awareness and knowledge related to managing patients with lipid disorders. It is a very exciting time to be a specialist in clinical lipidology. Not only are there new and novel lipid-lowering agents (i.e., PCSK9 inhibitors), there may be more available in the near future. Additionally, we have ongoing debate and controversy regarding the optimal approach to managing lipid disorders. In particular, the 2013 ACC/AHA Guidelines and the NLA Recommendations for Patient- Centered Management of Dyslipidemia. We will be fortunate to see the Part 2 NLA Recommendations in the upcoming November/December issue of the Journal of Clinical Lipidology.

Within this edition of LipidSpin, many contemporary and timely issues are addressed. Dr. Soffer and I are confident that you will enjoy the articles that are included in this edition. From a pharmacist’s perspective, I often gravitate toward drug therapy. There are several articles that particularly piqued my interests as they addressed the PCSK9 drugs as well as the CETP inhibitors. However, I think everyone will also benefit from the discussion of other professional issues related to clinical lipidology, lifestyle recommendations, and overview of statin-related muscle complaints.

I have titled my section as one of my favorite quotes, “Drugs don’t work in patients who don’t take them.” While C. Everett Koop said this decades ago, the message is timeless. Despite our vast knowledge of disease and drug therapy for lipid disorders, one fundamental barrier that we are all challenged by is patient adherence. It is my sincere hope that patient care and patient adherence can be improved by the NLA community with knowledge of all areas related to lipid disorders, coupled with clinical skills that allow us to apply our clinical knowledge. Throughout my tenure as co-editor of the LipidSpin, I will strive to emphasize the important clinical knowledge of pharmacotherapy and other aspects of lipid management, but also will maintain a patient-centered focus to our LipidSpin offerings. After all, knowledge of lipid disorders and treatment is futile if it is not directly translated to patient care.

I hope you enjoy this edition of LipidSpin. Thank you for the opportunity to be the co-editor and to participate in this exciting professional challenge.