Therapeutic effects of LDL apheresis in the prevention of atherosclerosis.

The efficacy and safety of the therapeutic tool which directly removes LDL particles from circulation (LDL apheresis) has already been established for cholesterol-lowering in patients with refractory hypercholesterolemia, such as homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia. Several angiographic studies have demonstrated that regular LDL apheresis therapy had favorable effects on the progression of coronary atherosclerosis. Recently, two clinical reports described excellent long-term follow-up results for patients with coronary artery disease who had been treated with LDL apheresis using dextran sulfate cellulose columns plus adjunctive cholesterol-lowering drug therapy. In addition, there is increasing evidence that LDL apheresis is effective for the prevention of extra-coronary atherosclerotic disease, and it is also reported to have the potential to improve microvascular disorders. Since the mechanisms of clinical improvement caused by LDL apheresis extend beyond simple and drastic reduction of LDL cholesterol, further investigation based on recent vascular biological evidence is needed.