New system to eliminate "bad" cholesterol from blood

2000/04/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Osasuna

A hospital in Los Angeles has developed a system called LDL Aferesis to remove so-called bad cholesterol from the blood of patients with high cholesterol levels. The new system has been prepared for critical patients, i.e. patients with an excess of cholesterol due to genetic failure. This type of patients since childhood have very high cholesterol levels and in some cases children only 10 years are undergoing cardiac operations.

To remove bad cholesterol from patients' blood, blood is passed through a machine through a tube. The machine distributes blood cells and plasma and redirects blood cells to the veins of the patient. Plasma, however, goes through a filter that stores good cholesterol and other chemical components but removes bad cholesterol. After two hours the patient's blood cholesterol level is completely reduced and does not need treatment for two weeks.

For patients with non-critical cholesterol levels, a treatment that combines diet, medication, and exercise is preferable. If the new technique has good results, it can be used to cure in the future all patients with high cholesterol level.