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Lipoprotein Apheresis

  • Nonstatin Drugs (E deGoma, Section Editor)
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Abstract

Lipoprotein apheresis is an extracorporeal therapy whereby apo B-containing lipoproteins (LDL, vLDL, and Lp(a)) are selectively removed from the plasma of a patient. It is a variation of plasma exchange, which non-selectively removes all plasma proteins. Lipoprotein apheresis is most commonly used to treat patients with familial hypercholesterolemia, but is also often used for other hyperlipidemic patients, including those with elevated Lp(a), to limit and/or reverse the atherosclerotic complications of high cholesterol. Herein, we provide an overview of lipoprotein apheresis including indications, techniques, efficacy, and adverse events, as well as guidelines and other considerations important for selection of patients for this therapy.

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Conflict of Interest

VG Bohj declares no conflicts of interest.

BS Sachais has received an honorarium from Kanaka Pharma America.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Vijay G. Bhoj

  2. New York Blood Center, 310 E 67 St, Room 2-88, New York, NY, 10065, USA

    Bruce S Sachais

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  1. Vijay G. Bhoj
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  2. Bruce S Sachais
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Correspondence to Bruce S Sachais.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Nonstatin Drugs

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Bhoj, V.G., Sachais, B.S. Lipoprotein Apheresis. Curr Atheroscler Rep 17, 39 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11883-015-0516-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11883-015-0516-7

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