PNA spearheads Lipid Academy for neurologists

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Neurological Association (PNA), in partnership with Pfizer Philippines, recently spearheaded a project to conduct a course on lipids and other associated disorders for practicing neurologists and neurologists-in-training as well as physicians in different parts of the country in the future.

Dubbed as The Lipid Academy, the activity formed part of PNA’s 40th anniversary celebration with the aim of providing a comprehensive review of lipid science, from the basics of lipidology and its breakthroughs up to the management of lipid disorders in atherosclerotic disease.

Lipids, though needed by the body in cellular transport and energy storage, have been known to have several adverse effects when some of their forms are consumed excessively, thus leading to lipid disorders that are associated with stroke, cardiovascular diseases, and other lifestyle diseases.

According to Dr. Johnny Lokin, the scientific committee chairman of PNA, the Lipid Academy was initially conceptualized several years ago and was partly due to the realization that lipid disorders were quite an important risk factor for strokes during the time when a landmark clinical trial was published studying the effects of cholesterol-lowering drugs.

The Stroke Prevention by Aggressive Reduction in Cholesterol Levels (SPARCL) trial was a study conducted by Dr. Pierre Amarenco, together with an international team that examined how regular treatments with the cholesterol-lowering drug atorvastatin, after stroke incidents, was able to reduce the risk of recurrent stroke by up to 16 percent.

The faculty of Lipid Academy included Doctors Abdias Aquino, Annette Bautisita, Romeo Divinagracia, Ruby Go, Johnny Lokin, Preston Mason, Oscar Naidas, Elizabeth Pacheco, Joselynna Quimpo, Elizabeth Roasa, Artemio Roxas Jr. and Rody Sy. 

The attendees also earned Continuing Medical Education credits from the two-day affair.