Origins of the NLA

In 1987, to combat the number one killer of American people, cardiovascular disease, the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) released Adult Treatment Panel Guidelines to coincide with the release of the first FDA-approved statin, lovastatin. By 1996, the goal was clear: reduce LDL-C to less than 100 mg/dL in all people with known coronary disease or major risk factors such as diabetes mellitus. This seemed achievable on paper, but a physician practice assessment revealed that only about half of patients were having their lipoproteins measured, and the application of the NCEP Guidelines from 1987 was less than evident. Studies reported major reductions in vascular events with statin treatment in patients with or without known vascular disease. The use of statins had increased, but patients often were left on low doses without adequate follow-up and without assessing goal attainment.

With the introduction of a new statin called atorvastatin, Parke-Davis and Pfizer observed that the missing element of effective statin use was the education of the physician community. They felt physicians had not accepted that the NCEP Guidelines were relevant to their patients. To close this gap, the pharmaceutical companies wanted to fund regional lipid organizations across the United States and called upon W. Virgil Brown to begin one in the Southeast. This news charged a group of mostly academic physicians, W. Virgil Brown, MD, Bryan Brewer, MD, John R. Guyton, MD, MacRae Linton, MD, Maria Lopes-Virella, MD, PhD, and David Robertson, MD, to meet in Atlanta, Georgia, to map out an organization that would encourage medical professionals to realize the importance of lipids.

At the meeting, the committee agreed on:

1.    The Mission Statement: To enhance the practice of lipid management in clinical medicine

2.    Objectives:

• To promote the growth of lipid specialty practice as a defined discipline in clinical medicine
• To enhance awareness of the emerging knowledge of metabolism, pathogenesis, and genetics of lipid disorders.
• To improve knowledge and professional skills in the diagnosis and treatment of lipid disorders.
• To foster a multi-disciplinary team approach to lipid management, and the prevention of cardiovascular disease.

The minutes of the meeting recognized many themes that continue today in the NLA:

• The value, convenience, and feasibility of a regional structure that promotes the sharing of ideas and support in educational efforts.
• The need to keep the scientist in communication with the practitioner to make learning most timely and effective.
• The value of every member of a clinical team in achieving a successful lipid management structure on a local level.
• The need for health professionals other than physicians to be recognized in the educational efforts.
• The value of adopting and promoting the work of other organizations, such as the NCEP and AHA.
• The fact that the practice of lipidology is often a business in need of common-sense guidance to maintain a platform for practice in the community. We recognized the importance of defining the practice of lipidology and giving it credibility in terms of training and certification.

These initial discussions led to a plan of action with the formation of several committees, each with a formal charge. We planned for the creation of a specialty in lipidology including formalized testing with certification, and, later, the development of a fellowship in Clinical Lipidology. An Education Committee was tasked with the development of ongoing educational materials for physicians with timely updates. This has been realized initially in the self-assessment programs which have been highly successful. It has extended to many other education materials – not only for physicians but for nurses, pharmacists, dietitians, and other health professionals. We also established a committee for patient educational materials that still exists today and is called the Practice Management Council. Another committee began work on developing a website. Finally, we laid plans for an educational conference engaging the entire multidisciplinary team to be held at Lake Lanier, GA, in August 1998. That would be the first educational conference in a series sustained to the present day.

All of these efforts expanded when Chris Seymour joined the organization as Executive Director and brought in his team at Compass Management. As early as 1998, the original sponsors, Pfizer/Parke-Davis, had graciously stated their vision for the Southeast Lipid Association (SELA) as “a totally independent and self-sufficient organization.” By the time of the SELA educational conference in 2000 at Amelia Island, FL, 9 sponsors contributed to the effort. In the meantime, leaders in lipid research and practice around the US were taking notice and often giving talks at the annual SELA meeting. These included Penny Kris-Etherton, RD, PhD, from Penn State University and Greg Brown, MD, from the University of Washington. Diane Becker, RN, MPH, ScD, of Johns Hopkins University served as first non-physician president of SELA.

After four successful years of planning, meetings, and obtaining funds from various pharmaceutical and laboratory companies, SELA’s objective of becoming part of a national organization came to fruition. The organizing committee of the National Lipid Association (NLA), made up of the SELA Board of Directors, officially adopted bylaws in November 2002 and formed the NLA Board of Directors. With secure funding, an effective executive management team, and interest from lipidologists outside the southeast, the NLA was born.

Neil Stone, MD, and Michael Davidson, MD, of Chicago had become regular participants in the SELA annual meetings, and in 2003, they became the key organizers of the Midwest Lipid Association (MWLA), which gave more legitimacy to our claim toward a national structure. The formal organization and the first annual meeting of the MWLA occurred in June 2004. After that, a new regional chapter was formed each year, with the addition of the Northeast Lipid Association (NELA), the Southwest Lipid Association (SWLA), and the Pacific Lipid Association (PLA).

It was in 2004 that the NLA not only became a national organization with two regional chapters, but also a member of the International Atherosclerosis Society. The NLA garnered recognition as providing a fundamental approach to the development of a capable community of professionals essential to a successful attack on cardiovascular disease. This organization has become a force for the improved delivery of information pertinent to the practice of lipidology in the United States and many other nations.

During the twenty years of our history, we have established the field of Clinical Lipidology, made enormous strides in education and scientific recommendations, promoted new knowledge through the LipidSpin and the Journal of Clinical Lipidology, developed credentialing and recognition for lipidology expertise, and helped countless patients manage their lipid-related risks and ailments.