Abstract
I agree with the publisher's introduction, which states that Professor Christie Ballantyne's book provides comprehensive scientific and clinical information on the management of dyslipidaemia. From basic science to the pathogenesis of atherothrombotic disease to risk assessment and the latest treatment options, this new title offers updated coverage and guidance on lipidology in a user-friendly style and gives access to the full text online.
The text spans the scientific foundations through practical applications to common clinical scenarios, and covers controversial or unsolved aspects of this field. Out of the 84 authors, 65 are from the United States and seven from Canada and with others from the UK, continental Europe and Australia. In their individual contributions, the authors caste a glance to the future to lay the groundwork for uptake of anticipated advances. A number of chapters deal authoritatively with existing and emerging biomarkers relevant to lipidology and cardiovascular risk: e.g. lipoprotein particle number and size, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, phospholipase and the use of proteomics. The chapters on intervention emphasize those that involve lifestyle change as well as pharmacological measures, including well-known lipid-regulating drugs and endocannabinoid receptor blockers, apheresis and functional foods. The final chapter looks ahead at experimental therapies directed to the arterial wall, covering oxidative stress, leukotrienes, phospholipases and novel immunomodulators. The editors of Braunwald's Heart Disease expect this unified approach to fill an important gap to enable the practitioner to diagnosis and manage lipid disorders encountered in daily clinical practice with confidence and expertise.
The editor writes that ‘We clearly now have both the knowledge and the therapies to prevent the vast majority of heart attacks and strokes that occur in our patients, and it is my greatest hope that the information in this book will be used in the successful implementation of strategies to manage lipids and other risk factors to prevent pain, suffering and death from atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease’. His motivation is drawn from his personal family experiences of morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular diseases.
The book is divided into three main sections: the first 100 pages on basic mechanisms, the next 100 pages on risk assessment and the final 370 pages on treatment.
Under common genetic disorders, I was surprised to find the metabolic syndrome described in detail but only brief reports on familial hypercholesterolaemia and type III hyperlipidaemia. The treatment guideline overview covers the United States approach, such as the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (NCEP ATP) updated in 2004, without discussion of guidelines in other parts of the world. Future editions would benefit from a more international approach and inclusion of molar as well as mass units for lipid values.
This book will be a useful reference text. It is attractively presented and well illustrated. The chapters on special patient populations, such as those with chronic kidney disease, human immunodeficiency virus and high-risk ethnic groups, are likely to be of particular value in dealing with some of the more unusual questions that we face in giving advice on lipid disorders.