The Lipid Disorders Center is a valuable Heart Center tool in managing blood cholesterol and other fatty elements in the blood, which are often a precursor to serious disorders of the heart and peripheral arteries. Co-directed by Dr. Glenn Gerber and Dr. Zubair Jafar, this clinic uses the resources of Berkeley Labs, a California based company that offers the most comprehensive analysis, world wide, of blood lipids. Berkeley, a former National Institutes of Health (NIH) affiliate, not only performs an in-depth analysis of all blood lipid components, but also performs genetic testing, which gives the physician specific information regarding the most successful approach to treatment. Several weeks after we submit a blood sample to Berkeley Labs, a detailed report will be obtained and the patient will be asked to visit The Heart Center to receive the results and to have an in-depth review with a specially trained Nurse Practitioner, who will also outline effective treatment options.
For patients who are referred to The Heart Center’s “Lipid Disorders Center” by a physician who is outside of our practice, the patient who receives counseling by one of our nurse practitioners will be sent back to their referring physician with the results from Berkeley Labs, as well as with recommendations for treatment. From that point, treatment options will become a dialogue between the patient and their referring physician.
It is the goal of The Heart Center to maintain this service to the medical community as the most advanced and treatment-specific lipid program available anywhere in the world.