From the NLA President: A Year in Review

It has been my distinct pleasure to serve as President of the National Lipid Association (NLA) during the 2013/2014 term. I am thankful to have been a part of the leadership in an organization with so many dedicated colleagues. I was blessed to serve with a wonderful Executive Committee and surrounded by loyal friends, colleagues, and NLA staff.

We have fulfilled our important mission this year through many significant initiatives. In coordination with the Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH) Foundation, we applied for a new ICD-10 code for FH which will have a significant effect on the underdiagnoses and undertreatment of this deadly disease; we petitioned the National Committee for Quality Assurance to NOT retire low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) screening and LDL-C control (<100 mg/dL) HEDIS quality measurements for 2015 in patients discharged alive for acute myocardial infarction, coronary artery bypass graft or percutaneous coronary interventions in the year prior to the measurement year, or who had a diagnosis of ischemic vascular disease or with diabetes; published the 2013 Statin Safety Update and Health Information Technology papers in the Journal of Clinical Lipidology (JCL); and conducted a successful public awareness campaign with the Foundation of the NLA educating patients and providers on FH through the “Are You the One?” campaign that coincided with National Cholesterol Education Month. During my time as President, the NLA held three successful meetings. The latest of the three, the Spring Clinical Update in Maui, HI was our first international meeting with speakers from around the globe, and we exceeded our goal number of attendees.

Perhaps the most important undertaking within the past year, however, was reviewing the newly released ACC/AHA cholesterol guidelines. Following their release, the NLA convened an expert panel to develop recommendations to assist clinicians in the exercise of clinical judgment regarding the management of dyslipidemias. The NLA issued a draft of the clinical recommendations planned to be released on May 2. The panel will be presenting these draft recommendations titled ‘The National Lipid Association Recommendations for Patient-Centered Management of Dyslipidemia’ in a Special Education Session at the Annual Scientific Sessions in Orlando, FL. We welcome your thoughts on these recommendations; please view and comment on the draft here: www.lipid.org/patientcentered. The final document will be published in the fall issue of the JCL in coordination with the Fall Clinical Lipid Update in Indianapolis.

Thanks as always for your continued support of the NLA. Our members are our most valuable asset, and we appreciate your participation at every level. I urge you to continue to be involved with the NLA in any way possible.