High levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL)—bad cholesterol—increase your risk of heart disease, heart attack and stroke. You need specialized care if medication doesn’t lower your LDL level.
The cardiovascular experts at Emory Heart & Vascular offer LDL apheresis. This sophisticated procedure can help lower your risks and protect your heart.
Millions of Americans have high cholesterol and coronary artery disease. But medication and other cholesterol-lowering therapies don’t work for many people. Emory Heart & Vascular is the only center in Georgia offering LDL apheresis.
LDL apheresis is a nonsurgical procedure that removes the LDL in your bloodstream. It works much like dialysis. It filters the LDL out of your blood. Other parts of your blood return to your body. These parts include blood cells, proteins, antibodies, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL).
Emory Heart & Vascular experts recommend LDL apheresis when other cholesterol-lowering treatments haven’t worked. They may suggest this procedure if you’re already taking the highest dose of cholesterol medication and have tried diet therapy for six months.
You must also meet one of these FDA requirements:
LDL apheresis is safe, well-tolerated and effective. It’s also a unique procedure.
One treatment is often enough to immediately, but temporarily, lower your LDL level significantly. For some patients, levels drop by 73% to 83%. The procedure also has little impact on other parts of your blood, like HDL (good cholesterol) and albumin.
Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a common type of heart disease. CAD happens when the blood vessels (arteries) carrying oxygen to the heart become narrowed or blocked (atherosclerosis).
Emory Healthcare doctors provide specialized treatment and research the latest advancements.
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