Lipoprotein apheresis
1Metabolic Medicine, Imperial College, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK. g.thompson@imperial.ac.uk
Purpose Of Review:
Lipoprotein apheresis is being performed with increasing frequency, but better data collection and recording of clinical outcomes are needed. Setting up registries would facilitate this process.
Recent Findings:
This review appraises recent articles that discuss the need for national registries and requirements for setting them up, the efficacy of lipoprotein apheresis in homozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia and patients with coronary disease secondary to raised levels of lipoprotein (a), and its role in the management of acute pancreatitis secondary to severe hypertriglyceridaemia.
Summary:
Lipoprotein apheresis seems to be going through a growth spurt, presumably reflecting better implementation of treatment guidelines or a broadening of indications for its use.
