Extracorporeal methods in the treatment of atherosclerosis and dyslipidemia

The aim of this review is the assessment of prospects to use of extracorporeal methods in the treatment of atherosclerosis and atherogenic dyslipidemia in the modern medicine. Today there are different methods of treatment of severe atherosclerosis, which cause a positive rheological effect from the selective removal of harmful components from plasma. This methods are called rheopheresis and carried by using special cascade plasma filters (rheofilters), heparin-LDL-precipitation (HELP) and provides the immunoadsorption of low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and apolipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)). This improves blood flow and microcirculation, which caused by decrease viscosity in blood and plasma. The Сascade Plasmafiltration (CPP) with special rheofilters, HELP and immunoadsorption of LDL and Lp(a) improves the blood rheology and microcirculation most effectively in patients with severe hypercholesterolemia. The aim of extracorporeal methods of treatment of coronary heart disease is the correction of metabolism (normalization of lipid metabolism, state of coagulation), blood viscosity, improvement of microcirculation, increase of myocardial perfusion and tolerance to the drug therapy. The Plasmapheresis is one of the most simple and accessible extracorporeal methods, which effectively eliminate macromolecular structures. The Plasmapheresis is use in the combination treatment of patients with familial hypercholesterolemia, homozygous and heterozygous (refractory to lipid-lowering therapy). The Plasmapheresis is a non-selective methods of blood correction. This explains a significant therapeutic range of this method