Extracorporeal LDL cholesterol removal: role of LDL-pheresis in combination with other hypolipidemic therapy to regress vascular disease. The direct relationship between hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis has resulted in formal cholesterol-lowering recommendations for patients at increased risk. The incomplete response to therapy of some forms of hypercholesterolemia as well as not uncommon drug intolerance prompted the development of extracorporeal techniques to reduce serum cholesterol levels. Nonhuman primate data and an analysis of human cholesterol epidemiology and reduction trials were used to establish guidelines that would maximize the likelihood of stabilizing or regressing established coronary artery atherosclerosis. These goals are a total cholesterol (TC) level of less than or equal to 150 mg/dL (3.9 mmol/L) and a ratio of TC to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) of less than 2.8. Selective, extracorporeal removal of LDL cholesterol (LDL-pheresis) was combined with diet and hypolipidemic drugs in a pilot study at The Rogosin Institute to achieve these lipid end-points. Technical aspects of LDL-pheresis, the background rationale for its use as part of a combined hypolipidemic therapy, the initial experience at The Rogosin Institute, and plans for future studies and applications are presented. 