Select a Medical Service | Heart & Vascular Center

Overview

Sidney Alexander, MD, speaking with a Lipid Clinic nurse

Lipids (fats) that are consumed in the diet and circulate in the blood play a major role in the development of artery blockage, or atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis leads to the most common causes of disability and mortality in the western world: heart attacks, stroke, and sudden death.

Guidelines for the treatment of lipid problems have progressively mandated more vigorous treatment. At Lahey Clinic, we feel that the best way to accomplish this is to expose our patients to an environment such as our Lipid Clinic where experts can concentrate on their individual lipid problems.

Objective

More than 20 years ago, the Lipid Clinic was established to evaluate and treat patients with problems relating to cholesterol and triglycerides, the main fats or lipids in our diet and in our blood. Most Lipic Clinic patients have been referred by their doctors to obtain expert guidance in diet and drug management.

Over the years, an overwhelming amount of information has proven that reducing cholesterol levels in the blood – through diet, with medication, or using a combination of these two – can appreciably lower both the risk of a first heart attack (primary prevention) and recurrent coronary artery problems in patients who already have coronary disease (secondary prevention). Click here for more information on lipid management.

Services

Each week between 20 and 30 patients are seen in the Lipid Clinic, with more than 1,000 patient visits each year. Our patients receive the latest advances in treatment.

The Lipid Clinic meets each Wednesday morning and includes senior staff physicians, physicians in training, nurses and nutritionists. Each patient's problem is individually evaluated, and when necessary, nutritional guidance is provided by registered dieticians. Regular follow-up and management - either in the Lipid Clinic or by the referring physician - is then established. Combined with the management and/or elimination of other cardiac risk factors such as smoking, high blood pressure, stress, diabetes and cardiac rehabilitation, the Lipid Clinic plays a major role in health maintenance and disease prevention.

The Lipid Clinic is also a teaching and research center. From its very inception, the Lipid Clinic has enabled its staff physicians to conduct some invaluable studies. The lipid evaluation and management services offered by our physicians through the Clinic have provided major teaching opportunities for fellows and residents - the future lipid experts.

Staff

Location

The Lipid Clinic meets in the Cardiology area (5 East Clinic) of Lahey Clinic Medical Center, 41 Mall Road, Burlington, MA 01805. Directions.

Referral

Most Lipid Clinic patients are referred by their primary care physicians, but others are self-referred. If you wish to make an appointment, please call our Appointment Office at 781-744-8000, or click here to request an appointment online.