FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Nicola Sirdevan, Executive Director
American Board of Clinical Lipodology
904.674.0752

Lipid Group Now Conferring Diplomate Status

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January 9, 2006
Jacksonville, FL

Physicians who elect to specialize or strengthen their practices in the field of lipidology now have the opportunity to secure professional recognition for their achievement. By obtaining continuing medical education credits and passing a rigorous exam administered by the American Board of Clinical Lipidology (ABCL), doctors are now eligible to be awarded diplomate status with the ABCL. Lipid medicine is rapidly growing in importance for a number of reasons, including 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. The economic and quality-of-life impacts generated by the resulting incidences of heart attacks, strokes, and comorbid illnesses is devastating-estimates by the American Heart Association place the direct and indirect costs of cardiovascular disease (CVD) for 2006 at over $400 billion (source: Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics-2006 Update, American Heart Association). Today, one in three adult Americans has some form of CVD. In response to this severe public health crisis, doctors are increasingly looking to prevent CVD and accomplish early diagnosis of cases in time to ward off chronic conditions. The foundation of coronary risk reduction is the lowering of elevated levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). Because the area of medical science that examines and treats disorders of lipid metabolism (dyslipidemia) is lipidology, interest in this specialized field is accelerating to meet the challenges posed by the growing public health risk. Formed in 2003, the ABCL is a nonprofit certifying organization that assesses qualifications and certifies knowledge in clinical lipidology. The Board oversees curricula and administers examinations that allow physicians to demonstrate their commitment to lipidology by obtaining certification as clinical lipid specialists. To date, over 150 physicians have been awarded diplomate status with the ABCL. These professionals have added lipidology as a subspecialty certification that enhances their understanding of:

Atherosclerosis
Cardiovascular disease and coronary artery disease
Preventive cardiology
Lifestyle management of dyslipidemias
Pharmacologic management of dyslipidemias
Evidence supporting dyslipidemia treatment guidelines
Metabolic Syndrome
Vascular biology
Advanced lipoprotein metabolism
Diabetic dyslipidemia
Atherosclerosis imaging

One recent Diplomate in Clinical Lipidology is Dr. Seth Baum, who practices medicine at Integrative Heart Care in Boca Raton, Florida. Although he originally specialized in interventional cardiology, "I became interested in preventive strategies toward heart disease," says Dr. Baum. Working in conjunction with leading institutions in the field, Dr. Baum says that he has "attempted to create a true preventive practice." Until recently, he tended to see a large percentage of elderly patients in his practice, "but as word gets out about CHD prevention, my client base is growing," says Dr. Baum. "I decided to pursue lipidology in keeping with my interest in CVD prevention, secondary prevention, and advanced lipid testing."

Dr. Baum has found certification to be an asset to his practice in a number of ways. It added considerably to his knowledge about the field of lipidology, and he adds that, "I've mentioned it to a number of my patients and it really separates me out as a physician." In his case, Dr. Baum spent approximately six months preparing for the ABCL examination. "The course was excellent," he says. "The sample tests were great and now that I've acquired certification, there's a real difference in my ability to handle complex issues regarding lipid-drug interactions." Dr. Baum plans to continue his education in lipidology and take more courses as they become available. "It helps me stay stimulated and the information is extremely valuable to me and helpful to my patients," he says.

Unlike many subspecialties in medicine, lipidology has wide applicability across many different fields and types of patients. Dr. Virgil Brown, president of the ABCL and director of the Division of Arteriosclerosis and Lipid Metabolism at the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia, developed an interest in lipidology during his research work at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. An early student of the subject, Dr. Brown has become one of its foremost experts. "It's important for people to understand that there is a hidden set of problems that are extremely common; lipid abnormalities are at the base of many of our health problems."

Lipidology is growing in importance but the target of the specialty remains in motion. Dr. Brown notes that whereas "we're getting better tools to deal with lipid disorders, as a society we're getting more food than we need and now even children are developing weight problems." Like Dr. Baum, Dr. Brown also views lipidology as preventive medicine in a larger sense, even when it works to prevent secondary events.

"Internists, primary care physicians, cardiologists, endocrinologists-all would benefit from adding this specialty and should consider exploring certification. Clearly, any physician or internist can benefit from distinguishing themselves from the rest of the medical community and their peers."

As medical students, most interns gain very little knowledge in the area of lipid science. Physicians with ABCL diplomate status possess a board-certified knowledge base that is recognized and quantifiable. More than that, "Certification is also a measure of experience and relevant training in the field," Dr. Brown says. The ABCL is currently looking to partner with the National Lipid Association to create other certification programs for the benefit of allied health professionals who run lipid clinics or focus on prevention. More information about ABCL diplomate programs and continuing medical education in lipidology is available at www.lipidboard.org and www.lipid.org.

American Board of Clinical Lipidology
6816 Southpoint Parkway, Suite 1000
Jacksonville, FL 32216
(904) 674-0752 • Fax: (904) 998-0855