Expanding Projects and Popularity: Foundation of the NLA

The NLA established the Foundation of the National Lipid Association in 2008 when Dr. Paul Ziajka and the late Dr. Ralph Vicari dissolved the Florida Lipid Foundation and donated its funds to the NLA. The mission of the Foundation is to improve the welfare of patients and families affected by cholesterol and triglyceride problems.

The NLA Board elected Anne C. Goldberg, MD, FNLA as president of the Foundation. During her presidency, Dr. Goldberg helped lead the familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) campaign in 2010, launching a national public relations campaign to elevate awareness of FH and to encourage patients to seek information, support, diagnosis, and treatment.  The Foundation created several awards presented at the Annual Scientific Sessions,including the Donald Hunninghake FH Abstract Award, the Young Investigator Awards, and the Clinician/Educator Award. These awards encourage NLA members to go the extra mile in search of the best lipid management practices. The Foundation has supported cholesterol screening in underserved communities, symposia on homozygous FH, and translation of patient tear sheets on lifestyle.  In 2017, the Foundation launched learnyourlipids.com, a public-facing website where patients can obtain information about lipid disorders.

The Foundation received a grant in 2021 to increase the exposure of learnyourlipids.com on Google. Before paid advertisement on Google, the website had about 900 visits per day which increased to more than 9,000 visits per day after the start of advertising. This 1,000% increase in website visits has stabilized and remained consistent over the past 9 months. The Foundation hopes for continued increase in website traffic and will focus on renewing the grant that made it happen.

After serving as the initial and only president of the Foundation, after 13 years Dr. Goldberg decided to step down, and become the Chief Science officer of the NLA. Dr. James A. Underberg, MD, MS, FNLA, became the second president at the annual Foundation of the NLA gala in Orlando, Florida in June of 2021. At this time, Dr. Goldberg was honored for her incredible leadership and guidance, and an award in her name was established to be awarded to individuals who support and help the Foundation in its mission and goals.

Going forward, the Foundation continues to fulfill its mission by expanding its reach to patients and family members impacted by lipid disorders. The website continues to be upgraded with more interactive tools and information available for free download. The Foundation strives to be the home for all lipid disorders, and the hub to direct patients, family members, and providers to other sites as needed for additional information.

Patients, family members, and clinicians can now join the Foundation as members – allowing further collaboration going forward. Soon the Foundation will be launching the position of “patient navigator” a dedicated clinician who can help patients and families find the appropriate provider, or clinical trial site that is convenient to their location. The Foundation also looks to expand the board to include members from outside the clinical sphere, to include perspectives that allow further growth and reach to patients and families impacted by lipid disorders.

In just 14 years, the Foundation has made a tremendous impact on American lives through its public relations efforts, while continuing to provide grants for practitioners in the areas of research, community outreach, and professional education.