The program, dubbed "Georgia Lipid Academy," was developed in consultationwith the National Lipid Association (NLA). This is because cardiometabolicillnesses are closely related to lipid management, the control of fats in theblood. The NLA is an expert organization of physicians and healthcareproviders who specialize in research and treatment of lipid disorders, and theassociation agreed to develop a customized lipid education program forGeorgia's Public Health professionals. The chair of the program, Carol Mason,ARNP, is president of the Southeast Chapter of the NLA, and Southeast LipidAssociation members will serve as program faculty.

Recent clinical trials have demonstrated that intensive management ofdyslipidemia provides better cardiovascular outcomes, which has led the AdultTreatment Panel III of the National Cholesterol Education Program to recommendeven more aggressive targets for high-risk patients. The Georgia Lipid Academyeducational initiative will cover new complex therapies and establishedmethods for treating cardiometabolic disorders. Participants will studylipid- focused diagnostic testing and risk assessment to better learn how toidentify and care for patients with lipid disorders.

The Georgia Lipid Academy program will specifically target healthcareprofessionals in rural parts of Georgia as they have reduced access tocontinuing medical education compared to their peers in more populated areas.There will be a total of six courses held over two years, and follow-upstudies conducted by the National Lipid Association will assess theeffectiveness of the program.

Cardiovascular disease is the number-one killer of Georgians and Georgiahas rates of CVD and stroke that are among the highest in the nation.Untreated cardiovascular disease is a heavy burden on society-estimates by theAmerican Heart Association place the direct and indirect costs ofcardiovascular disease for 2006 at over $400 billion. By treating theseillnesses and preventing them, the Georgia Division of Public Health hopes toreduce related chronic health issues such as hypertension, diabetes andobesity, which is the focus of the Georgia Lipid Academy.

ABOUT THE GEORGIA DIVISION OF PUBLIC HEALTH

The Division of Public Health (DPH) is the lead agency entrusted by thepeople of the State of Georgia with the ultimate responsibility for the healthof communities and the entire population. For more information, visit the DPHWeb site at: health.state.ga.us.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL LIPID ASSOCIATION

The National Lipid Association (NLA) is a multidisciplinary non-profitmembership association that serves the community of healthcare professionalswho manage patients with lipid disorders and cardiovascular disease. The NLA'spublic health mission is to help reduce deaths related to high cholesterol.For more information, please see the NLA Web site at: www.lipid.org.

SOURCE National Lipid Association