Lipid Practice

The UCSF Lipid Practice provides the full range of diagnostic and treatment services for adults with cholesterol and triglyceride disorders. These conditions can lead to atherosclerosis (narrowing of the arteries), which raises the risk of a heart attack or stroke. Very high levels of triglycerides can also cause pancreatitis.

Our clinic, established in 1961, is dedicated to early diagnosis and treatment of these disorders, whether they're genetic or secondary to another condition. We also focus on identifying and managing other risk factors that can lead to heart disease and stroke. By managing risk factors, including lipid abnormalities, we can stabilize and sometimes even reverse existing arterial disease.

We work with each patient to achieve normal lipid levels through a combination of diet modification, exercise and carefully prescribed lipid-lowering medications. Since the clinic's inception, we have made major contributions to advancing diagnostic methods and therapies for lipid disorders. We're also at the forefront of research that aims to better understand lipid disorders and atherosclerosis, including our work in the important discovery of genes associated with coronary heart disease and stroke.

In addition, our clinic trains residents and fellows, as well as practicing physicians, in the diagnosis and management of lipid disorders.