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Competing Interests: Die Autoren geben an, dass kein Interessenkonflikt besteht.

Background: One of the first investigations concerning extracorporeal treatment of hypercholesterolemia was performed in 1967 by plasma exchange in patients with homozygous or severe heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). In the following decades, several specific lipid apheresis systems were developed to efficiently eliminate low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and Lp(a) cholesterol in hypercholesterolemic patients. In the early 1980s, the main clinical indication has been homozygous FH including mainly children and pregnant women. In consideration of the current development of lipid-lowering regimens and scientific knowledge of preventing progression of cardiovascular diseases, the spectrum of indications to initiate lipid apheresis was extended due to still insufficient lipid-lowering therapy in some clinical cases. However, a generally accepted indication for lipid apheresis treatment is still under discussion. In Germany, the target-oriented distribution of increasingly limited healthcare resources demand data which support the benefit of established treatment procedures such as lipid apheresis. In recent years, the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA), a paramount decision-making body of the German Healthcare System, issued to reassess the approval of chronic lipid apheresis therapy for regular reimbursement. Therefore, in 2005, an interdisciplinary German Apheresis Working Group has been established by members of both the German societies of nephrology. One of the first goals of this working group was a revision of the indications for lipid apheresis corresponding to current guidelines and recommendations for the treatment of lipid disorders. In addition, recently new pathophysiological perceptions of the impact of lipoproteins on atherogenesis and thrombosis were also considered., Methods and Results: Since 2005, the working group met on a regular basis to substantiate the first defined goals. The indications for lipid apheresis were critically revised with respect to actual results from clinical investigations, cardiovascular guidelines, and scientific knowledge and were accepted by the members of the apheresis working group., Conclusions: There is consensus between the medical societies and health insurance funds regarding the need for general accepted guidelines for lipid apheresis. Recommendations for the indications of lipid apheresis were developed, but additionally these results should be confirmed by medical societies to transform them to guidelines. However, due to limited data showing that lipid apheresis has effects on the progression of cardiovascular diseases all members of the apheresis working group support a project for creating a lipid apheresis registry. This apheresis registry has been developed and recently started. The primary goal is to substantiate prospective long-term data on clinical outcome of chronic lipid apheresis treatment and to support additional clinical research activities in this field. In addition, this registry should comply with the actual requests of the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA).

New recommendations for the indication of treatment with selective extracorporeal plasma therapy low-density lipoprotein apheresis (LDL-apheresis) in the prevention of coronary heart disease are urgently needed. The following points are the first results of the ongoing discussion process for indications for LDL-apheresis in Germany: all patients with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia with functional or genetically determined lack or dysfunction of LDL receptors and plasma LDL cholesterol levels >13.0 mmol/L (>500 mg/dL); patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) documented by clinical symptoms and imaging procedures in which over a period of at least 3 months the plasma LDL cholesterol levels cannot be lowered below 3.3 mmol/L (130 mg/dL) by a generally accepted, maximal drug-induced and documented therapy in combination with a cholesterol-lowering diet; and patients with progression of their CHD documented by clinical symptoms and imaging procedures and repeated plasma Lp(a) levels >60 mg/dL, even if the plasma LDL cholesterol levels are lower than 3.3 mmol/L (130 mg/dL). Respective goals for LDL cholesterol concentrations for high-risk patients have been recently defined by various international societies. To safely put into practice the recommendations for LDL-apheresis previously mentioned, standardized treatment guidelines for LDL-apheresis need to be established in Germany that should be supervised by an appropriate registry.