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This article was downloaded by: [85.190.178.241] On: 10 July 2015, At: 09:26 Publisher: Cogent OA Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG

Journal of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes of South Africa Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/oemd20

LASSA Congress, Bloemfontein, April 2011 Dirk J Blom Published online: 12 Aug 2014.

To cite this article: Dirk J Blom (2011) LASSA Congress, Bloemfontein, April 2011, Journal of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes of South Africa, 16:1, 7-7, DOI: 10.1080/22201009.2011.10872245 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/22201009.2011.10872245

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LASSA Editorial: LASSA Congress, Bloemfontein, April 2011

LASSA Congress, Bloemfontein, April 2011 The 2011 LASSA (Lipid and Atherosclerosis Society of

of highly sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) is a case in

Southern Africa) Congress takes place in Bloemfontein

point.

in April in conjunction with SEMDSA (Society for

Dr Emanuele Di Angelantonio, from the Emerging Risk

Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism of South Africa)

Factors

meeting. Although South Africa only has a small number of

(ERFC),

Cambridge,

United

Kingdom, will deliver a presentation entitled Using large-

dedicated lipid specialists, I am confident that delegates will

scale epidemiological evidence to help evaluate biomarkers

enjoy and benefit from both the scientific and educational

in cardiovascular disease. The ERFC has collected and

aspects of the congress.

combined data from a large number of epidemiological

Cardiovascular mortality rates are declining in Westernised

cohorts. The large numbers of patients studied increases

countries, but the converse is true for developing countries

statistical power and allows for definite conclusions to

where cardiovascular death rates are rapidly increasing.

Downloaded by [85.190.178.241] at 09:26 10 July 2015

Collaboration

be drawn about the relevance and predictive power of

Infectious disease mortality is likely to decline as

biomarkers. The ERFC has recently published several

antiretroviral therapy is made available widely, while more

important papers in leading medical journals, and this

and more South Africans enjoy the “good life” characterised

presentation should not be missed.

by smoking, poor diet, obesity and lack of exercise.

The LASSA scientific sessions will touch on a wide

Although smoking is a major modifiable cardiovascular risk

variety of topics, based on three main themes. Familial

factor, most physicians do not manage smoking actively.

hypercholesterolaemia remains an important topic of

Generally, interventions include brief advice on smoking

research due to its high prevalence in South Africa, with

cessation and nicotine replacement therapy, but therapeutic

founder effects in at least three ethnic groups. Dyslipidaemia

nihilism remains all too common.

in black African patients will be examined within the setting

Dr K Fagerström, Helsingborg, Sweden, is an internationally

of diabetes and antiretroviral therapy. The importance

recognised expert on nicotine dependence and smoking

of marine foods for Stone Age hunter-gatherers will be

cessation. He will deliver a presentation on The management

discussed, while the culinary theme will be concluded with

of tobacco dependence. Dr Fagerström will review the

a presentation that indicates that alcohol reduction does

pathophysiological basis of nicotine dependence and

not reduce the antioxidant function of wine.

why smokers find it so hard to quit before discussing the

LASSA will once again offer a course in lipidology for

management of tobacco dependence.

delegates and local general practitioners. This was first

Multiple studies have shown that both lifestyle and

presented at the 2009 LASSA meeting in Johannesburg,

pharmacological interventions can reduce the rate of

and proved to be very popular. It is an educational half-

cardiovascular disease. Lifestyle interventions are usually

day course covering the basics of lipid metabolism, and

recommended at population level. Pharmacological therapy

addresses vital problems in lipid management, including risk

is reserved for those at above-average risk due to the

prediction, lipid goals and targets, hypertriglyceridaemia,

associated cost and potential for adverse effects. However, such a strategy requires the ability to identify people who

and new drugs and side-effects. The course concludes with

are at above-average risk. Cardiovascular risk estimation

case presentations and a question and answer session.

algorithms have been available for several decades, but are

Dirk J Blom

imperfect. This has led to an ongoing quest to identify novel

e-mail: [email protected]

risk biomarkers, many of which have been researched in relatively small studies, resulting in considerable discussions about their clinical relevance. The debate around the utility

JEMDSA

7

2011 Volume 16 No 1