Non-pharmacological lowering of low-density lipoprotein by apheresis and surgical techniques.
In the past year, new data have appeared on the long-term benefits of low-density lipoprotein apheresis in severely hypercholesterolemic patients who are refractory to lipid-lowering drug therapy. Such data are critical for clinical decision-making, because they confirm the hypothesis that the dramatic reduction in low-density lipoprotein made possible by this technique produces clear-cut clinical benefits. Because of its efficacy and low incidence of side-effects, apheresis for severe drug-refractory hypercholesterolemia has superseded surgical approaches, such as liver transplantation or ileal bypass.
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Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. rsl@mit.edu
Cashin-Hemphill
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D000818:Animals; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000097:blood / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D007082:Ileum / Q000601:surgery; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000097:blood* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D010956:Plasmapheresis
D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL