Telehealth Effective for Nutrition Therapy in Patients With Hyperlipidemia

TUESDAY, Jan. 9, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Telehealth may be an effective means to increase access to medical nutrition therapy for patients with hyperlipidemia, according to a study published online Nov. 16 in the Journal of Clinical Lipidology.

Shannon Zoulek, M.D., from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and colleagues compared previsit to postvisit change in lipid markers of virtual (41 patients) versus face-to-face (151 patients) visits with a registered dietitian nutritionist for treating hyperlipidemia. 

The researchers found that during a median 33 days, there was a significant decrease in total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol for both visit types. However, there were no significant differences in mean change in lipid markers between the two visit types.

"Access to nutrition care is crucial, and our study shows just how effective virtual care can be for helping improve cholesterol levels," coauthor Beverly Kuznicki, R.D.N., also from the University of Michigan, said in a statement. "Virtual care welcomes the dietitian into the patient's kitchen where the two can work together to come up with a nutrition plan which focuses on foods that are already in their pantry and refrigerator."

One author disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

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