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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