Chapter Update: News from the Pacific Lipid Association

Although we are thousands of miles away from the National Lipid Association (NLA) headquarters and our time zone seems out of sync with scheduled committee meetings and conference calls, we appreciate the importance of working with and contributing to the NLA and strengthening not only our chapter, but the organization as a whole. Early awareness of the significance of clinical lipidology in our region, prior to the NLA, was made possible by the lipid symposia sponsored by such eminent lipidologists as Drs. Robert Steinberg, Tom Bersot, and Robert Superko in California, as well as Dr. Greg Brown and his team in Seattle and several others. So, when the NLA called, we were ready.

Knowing that the NLA cannot endorse or support every local endeavor, we continue to independently arrange and find funding for educational opportunities throughout our vast region. Yehuda Handelsman, MD, FNLA, (PLA presidentelect) again will chair the 14th Annual World Congress on Insulin Resistance, Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease in Los Angeles. Michael Shapiro, DO, FNLA, at the Oregon Health and Science University held their 2nd Annual Pacific Northwest Cardiovascular Summit with emphasis on preventive cardiology and lipids among other topics. In the Orange County region, the 8th Annual Orange County Cardiovascular Prevention Symposium was hosted by UCI and co-chaired by several community physicians.

Advocacy started here quite early, even before our chapter’s inception, and strong efforts continue here in the west. We will continue to encourage and support the NLA so its voice is heard in the professional and public arena pertaining to our specialty and to benefit our patients.

Active lipid clinics abound in our many university hospitals across our vast region, but also in our local communities such as the Polyclinic in Seattle (lipids managed by Jessica Durham, ARNP), the large central California lipid clinic of John R. Nelson, MD, FNLA, in Fresno, and the contemporary management of lipids in the many clinics extending from Anchorage, Alaska to Waipahu, Hawaii.

For example, Ross Tanner, DO, FACP, FNLA, established the Diabetes and Lipid Clinic in Alaska in 2005. He initiated an apheresis center to address the need to treat patients with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). Alaska’s population is 600,000 with 150,000 Alaska natives being cared for in their own healthcare system. This left a significant number of patients of the remaining 450,000 people necessitating treatment for not only FH but also diabetes. Alongside his physicians assistants, he currently manages more than 400 patients with LDL values greater than 200.

He currently runs the only apheresis center in Alaska and he and his small team manage more 5,000 patients. In addition, he has two clinic sites — one in Anchorage and the other in Homer, Alaska. The clinic in Homer is a medical specialty clinic established by the hospital several years ago. Finally, an unmet need is being fulfilled in the great state of Alaska, the last frontier.

In addition, cholesterol screening was provided to the community of Westminster, California in conjunction with Union Bank this year through the efforts of Nathan Wong, PhD, FNLA, using the Cohort Risk Calculator. This venue provided an opportunity for the residents to discuss cardiovascular risk with health care providers fostering the concepts of “population health.” On a smaller, but very successful scale, Lipid Clubs such as the Lipid Alliance of LA and the Preventive Cardiology of Orange County have organized four to six meetings per year where non-branded science lectures are offered at a dinner venue, increasing the opportunities for those interested in treating lipids to learn in their local communities. All of these functions are translatable to any community in any region.

Needless to say, these types of activities also provide an opportunity to talk about the NLA and its role in shaping and directing the future of clinical lipidology.

Finally, I apologize in advance for not mentioning all of the activities that are noteworthy in our nine large states, but do want to thank all of the very hard-working and dedicated doctors, NPs, PharmDs, exercise physiologists, and dietitians who “see the light,” and continue to be enamored and devoted to this exciting field.