From the NLA President: A Bright Future

I am honored and truly humbled to have the opportunity to serve as the President of the National Lipid Association (NLA) during the 2014/2015 term. In just a few months as president, I’ve seen tremendous strides in the lipid community, which I only hope to continue during the remainder of my term. The initiative taken by members of the NLA and its board during the past year and beyond is not only encouraging — but deeply appreciated. I especially owe a heartfelt “thank you” to the NLA’s immediate past-president Matthew K. Ito, PharmD, CLS, FNLA. You’ve left big shoes to fill.

The 2014 Annual Scientific Sessions in Orlando, Fla., was indeed a successful passing of the torch between Dr. Ito and me. And the sponsoring chapter, the Southeast Lipid Association, should be recognized for all of their hard work.

During this year’s Scientific Sessions, the NLA released its draft recommendations for patient-centered management of dyslipidemia. With so many differing guidelines surrounding the management of dyslipidemia — most notably the release of the American College of Cardiology/ American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) cholesterol guidelines — the NLA worked to convene an expert panel that would provide recommendations to enhance and complement the ACC/AHA guidelines. Following valuable feedback from the lipid community, an executive summary of the NLA’s recommendations is scheduled to be published in the September/October issue of the Journal of Clinical Lipidology. The feedback that we received from NLA members and other key stakeholder groups was very positive and many suggestions were incorporated in the final document. Phase II of these clinical recommendations is currently in development, and the full paper is scheduled to publish in a later issue of the Journal.

Another big initiative from the NLA leadership in the past couple months has been the publication of the NLA Update on Statin Safety 2014 in the Journal of Clinical Lipidology. This update included important new information on statin-related muscle side effects along with issues related to statins and diabetes, liver function, cognitive changes, and drug interactions. Another initiative that you may have already participated in was our recent member survey centered on triglyceride education and awareness. The NLA wishes to raise awareness about the significant role triglycerides play in patients’ lives. If you participated in the survey — thank you! Your feedback will be a valuable tool in helping us deliver improved educational messages to our members and the public.

As we look ahead, the NLA has many exciting events scheduled. The 2015 Spring Clinical Lipid Update — sponsored by the Pacific Lipid Association and Southwest Lipid Association — will take place Feb. 27– March 1, 2015, in Denver. In addition, the 2015 Annual Scientific Sessions will be hosted by the Midwest Lipid Association June 11–14, 2015, in Chicago. Please check lipid.org/conferences frequently for ongoing updates on all upcoming meetings. Your involvement is important to the future success of our organization. So we hope to see you there!

Again, thank you for this opportunity and privilege to serve as your president. And thank you for your continued support of the National Lipid Association. It does not go unnoticed. Keep the lines of communication open and I am looking forward to your feedback and suggestions.