Therapy for uremic hyperlipidemia.

Once the decision is made to treat hyperlipidemia in a dialysis patient, several options for therapy are available. This review organizes a therapeutic approach into manipulations primarily by the patient (achievement of ideal body weight, exercise, various diets) and manipulations primarily by the physician. Dialytic options include the composition of the dialysate (buffer, glucose), peritoneal dialysis, hemodialysis and hemofiltration. The roles of dialysis efficiency and heparin are discussed in this context. Medicinal manipulations include drugs to avoid (beta adrenergic blockers, androgens, estrogens, glucocorticoids, ethyl alcohol, diuretics) and specific therapeutic agents (activated charcoal, nicotinic acid, clofibrate, L-carnitine).