JCL Roundtable: From Gen Med to Clinical Lipidology

The prevalence of lipid-related risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease surpasses half the population as individuals age, and thus generalists and primary care providers manage by far the bulk of treatment of lipid disorders. It should come as no surprise that many individuals who practice clinical lipidology, focusing on the care of patients with resistant or perplexing lipid disorders, come from a background of general or primary care medicine. Among 429 providers responding to a survey of National Lipid Association (NLA) members in 2010, 50% were internal medicine or family medicine practitioners, 32% cardiologists, 11% endocrinologists, and 7% with a variety of other specialty training. This JCL Roundtable brings together 3 NLA physician leaders who came from primary care. We discuss their career pathways, their blend of practice, teaching, research, and administration, and the settings in which they carry out the lipidology mission.