Lipid clinics are urgently required in the Iranian public health system

OBJECTIVES Lipid Clinics are specialized centers for clinical assessment and follow up of patients with dyslipidaemia in order to deliver an acceptable improvement in their lipid profiles. We assessed the changes in lipid profile of dyslipidemic patients attending a Lipid Clinic over a 1 year period on lipid-lowering therapy. METHODS Dyslipidemic patients (n=238) were recruited from the Lipid Clinic at the Royal Surrey County Hospital, Guildford, UK. All patients were regularly seen at the clinic and the compliance of lipid-lowering drug consumption, prescribed by the consultant was assessed over a period of one year. RESULTS The mean age of the patients was 55.2 ± 0.86 years and the male/female ratio was 143/95. The lipid profiles of patients attending the Lipid Clinic over the period of one year of close monitoring changed significantly. Triglyceride, total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol were reduced by 27.04%, 20.48% and 22.67%, respectively (P<0.001) and high density lipoprotein cholesterol rose by 8.96% (P<0.001); the 10-year calculated coronary risk factor of all patients decreased significantly (39.29%, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS Our findings confirmed the effectiveness of a Lipid Clinic in the management of lipid profile and cardiovascular risk of dyslipidemic patients.