National Lipid Association Celebrates 10 Years of Education in Clinical Lipidology

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.—The National Lipid Association (NLA), a nonprofit, multidisciplinary medical society focused on enhancing the practice of lipid management in clinical medicine, marks a major milestone this year with its tenth anniversary. Lipid management involves the treatment of disruptions in the amount of lipids in the blood (dyslipidemia). Lipids are fats and normal levels are required for good health. However, abnormally high or low lipid levels can lead to illness and cardiovascular disease, including arterial blockage, heart attack, and stroke. The NLA was founded by a visionary group of pioneering lipid researchers and clinicians from the southeastern United States in 2002. This group recognized the need to spread the mission of continuing medical education for physicians and other healthcare professionals to advance professional development and attain certification in clinical lipidology beyond the region.

The 3,000 members of the NLA share a common goal: to enhance the practice of lipid management in clinical medicine and to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with atherosclerotic disease. The specialty of lipidology is building momentum and continues to evolve with the field of medicine as a whole. In the past three years alone, changes in the field of study have redefined the identity and the area of science. The field is growing rapidly in response to demographic trends that place an increasing number of Americans at risk for coronary heart disease (CHD) and epidemic levels of obesity concurrent with a surge in new cases of diabetes mellitus.

“Throughout this past decade, the NLA has been able to achieve all of its original objectives,” said NLA President Penny Kris-Etherton, PhD, RD, FNLA. “We have established the association as the preeminent education organization for the practice of lipid management, acted to make the practice of clinical lipidology a recognized subspecialty, and created an organizational structure that is inclusive of the entire healthcare team.”

The NLA will celebrate its anniversary during the 2012 Annual Scientific Sessions, May 31–June 3 in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Part of the celebrations will include the awarding of the NLA’s Distinguished Achievement Awards, which are given to members and researchers who have made the greatest contributions to the NLA and to the field of lipidology. Honorees include William Boden, MD, recipient of the Lifetime Membership Award, Avedis Khachadurian, MD, recipient of the Distinguished Achievement Award, and Anne Goldberg, MD, and Ralph La Forge, MSc, recipients of the President's Service Award. These four honorees will be recognized at the Honors and Awards Ceremony on Saturday, June 2.

During the conference, “Extending the Reach and Inclusiveness of Lipidology,” attendees will immerse themselves in the latest lipid science, clinical controversies, and best practices. The four-day comprehensive learning experience will feature a wide variety of scientific sessions, symposia, case presentation and poster sessions that are evidence-based and clinically relevant. Nationally renowned faculty include William Boden, MD; Valentin Fuster, MD, PhD; Lawrence Appel, MD, MPH, and Robert H. Lustig, MD. To learn more about the NLA Annual Scientific Sessions visit www.lipid.org/sessions.