Getting Low in Familial Hypercholesterolemia: Reducing LDL-C and a Lifetime of Cardiovascular Risk

By Michael Davidson, MD, FACC, FACP, FNLA and Ann Liebeskind, MD, FAAP, FNLA

FH is marked by high levels of circulating LDL-C, leading to increased risk of premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Patients frequently remain undiagnosed, resulting in poor outcomes and failure to diagnose family members. Clinicians should be aware of the diagnostic criteria as well as the importance of genetic testing. FH generally responds inadequately to traditional lipid-lowering therapies such as statins and often necessitates more effective biologic therapies. A multidisciplinary approach is needed in treating FH, and clinicians should be aware of recent discoveries in lipid genetics, currently endorsed diagnostic criteria, and recently approved and emerging agents to treat FH.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Integritas Communications
• Release date: Dec 17, 2021

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Faculty

Michael H. Davidson, MD, FACC, FACP, FNLA

Professor of Medicine

Director of the Lipid Clinic

The University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine

Chicago, Illinois

Dr. Michael Davidson is a nationally recognized expert on statins, novel lipid-lowering drugs, and the reduction of coronary artery disease risk through diet and exercise. He specializes in heart disease prevention, teaching patients to take a proactive approach to managing cardiac risk factors. He earned his medical degree from The Ohio State University College of Medicine in Columbus, and completed his residency in Internal Medicine and fellowship in Cardiology at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

An active researcher, Dr. Davidson’s clinical research background encompasses both pharmaceutical and nutritional clinical trials. His extensive research on statins, novel lipid-lowering drugs, and nonpharmacologic risk factor reduction has established him as a key opinion leader in this area.

A prolific author and lecturer on lipid disorders, nutrition, and atherosclerosis, Dr. Davidson has coordinated more than 1000 clinical trials in areas of preventive cardiology. He has published more than 250 articles for leading medical journals and has written several books on lipidology.

Dr. Davidson has been named one of The Best Doctors in America by Best Doctors Inc. for the past 10 years and was named Father of the Year by the American Diabetes Association in 2010. He has served as the president of the National Lipid Association.

Ann Liebeskind, MD, FAAP, FNLA

Lipidologist and Founder

Mobile Health Team

Neenah, Wisconsin

Dr. Ann Liebeskind is an expert in lipidology, the study of cholesterol.  One of the first diplomates of the American Board of Clinical Lipidology, she holds board certifications in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, and treats both adults and children with cholesterol problems. A Wisconsin native, Dr. Liebeskind graduated from the University of Wisconsin Medical School and completed her internship and residency in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at the University of Kentucky Hospital. 

Dr. Liebeskind started the first combined pediatric and adult lipids clinic in Northeast Wisconsin in 2006 while working for Affinity Health System. During her time at Affinity, she worked with colleagues at the Mayo Clinic to create Affinity Health System's COURAGE program, which went on to be offered by Network Health Plan. She also worked with doctors from across the Fox Valley to bring the first LDL apheresis program to Northeast Wisconsin. (LDL apheresis is a process for lowering cholesterol in people with very severe genetic diseases.) 

Blending her expertise in cholesterol with her fascination with technology, Dr. Liebeskind created an innovative private practice in 2014, Mobile Health Team.  Using both of these passions, she has also developed tools for children and families to foster healthy lifestyles, improve their cholesterol, and achieve healthier futures.  In 2015, she published Adventures in Cholesterol, a 28-page graphic novel created to empower children and parents in managing their cholesterol. She is the founder of Homework for Health, an online teaching resource to help health care practitioners, educators, and families manage cholesterol.

Dr. Liebeskind is a faculty member of the National Lipids Association's Foundations in Lipidology course and an expert in familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). In 2014, Dr. Liebeskind was named a regional expert in pediatric obesity, serving as a designated Childhood Obesity Advisor for Continuing Health (COACH) for the American Academy of Pediatrics.  In 2018, she was awarded the Midwest Lipid Association's Chapter President's Service Award at the National Lipid Association Scientific Session in Las Vegas, Nevada.  A Fellow of the National Lipid Association and of the American Academy of Pediatrics,