Meet The Staff

Dr. Gregory Pokrywka MD FACP FNLA FASPC NCMP

Gregory Pokrywka MD FACP FNLA FASPC NCMP is a Board-Certified Internist from Baltimore/Towson, Md. He attended Duke University, worked as a biochemist, attended University of Maryland Medical School and was Chief Resident in Internal Medicine at Mercy Hospital, Baltimore. He has been in private practice since 1987 and formed the Baltimore Lipid Center in 2001. Dr. Pokrywka has further pursued his interest in Menopausal Lipidology through certification as a Credentialed Menopause Practitioner by the North American Menopause Society (NAMS). He is a November 2005 Inaugural Diplomate of the American Board of Clinical Lipidology (“Board Certified in Clinical Lipidology”) and is one of a handful of U.S physicians double-certified in Menopause and Lipidology.  In March of 2009 Dr. Pokrywka was elected by his peers to the honor of “Fellow of the National Lipid Assn.” (FNLA)  Fellowship in the National Lipid Association recognizes the excellence, innovation, and leadership of health professionals in the NLA with respect to Clinical Lipidology in private practice or academic settings. Fellowship is reserved for NLA members who have made significant regional and/or national contributions to the science and practice of Clinical Lipidology. In August 2016 Dr. Pokrywka was among the first physicians elected by his peers as a Fellow of the American Society of Preventive Cardiology (ASPC). This honor recognizes excellence, innovation, and leadership in preventive
cardiology. Dr Pokrywka now serves as Assistant Professor for the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.  In 11/2011 Dr Pokrywka completed a DATA 2000 compliant buprenorphine training program, and regularly treats opiate abuse patients, both in his own practice and as a Medical Director for First Step ( 2011-2020), and MATCinic, Baltimore (2017-2019). He has also participated in over 25 Clinical Trials with the IRC Clinical Research Center, and CPG Clinical Research of Towson, MD, as a Sub-Investigator and Principal Investigator, since 2012.

Dr. Pokrywka is a member of the American Heart Association Council on Atherosclerosis, the National Lipid Association (NLA), the International and the European Atherosclerosis Societies, the American Society of Preventive Cardiology, the Androgen Excess and PCOS Society, the Obesity Society, the Familial HyperCholesterolemia Foundation, the Lipoprotein(a) Foundation, and is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians. He participates enthusiastically in the Go Red for Women and WomenHeart campaigns to fight heart disease in women. He was elected to serve as a member of the Board of Directors of the Southeast Lipid Assn., 2009-2020, serving as NLA Regional Representative 2009-2018, Secretary 2019, Treasurer 2020, and Vice-Chair of the NLA Membership Committee.  Lecturing nationwide since 2001, Dr. Pokrywka has conducted since 2002 over 100 lipid / lipoprotein educational programs per year. He has lectured in 44 states to Internists/FP’s, Cardiologists, Ob/Gyns, Nurse Midwives, Physician’s Assts. and Nurse Practitioners at hospital and medical school grand rounds, CME programs, national tele- and web-conferences and multiple other venues on “Aggressive Detection and Prevention of ASCVD in Insulin Resistant Women” and “Women’s Menopausal Health.” Other areas of interest include “Advanced Lipoprotein Testing”, “Treatment of the Metabolic Syndrome”, “HDL Cholesterol”, “Diagnosis and Treatment of Hypertriglyceridemia”, “Cardiovascular Effects of Estrogen and Estrogen Receptor Modification”, “Diabetic Dyslipidemia”, PCOS and Cardiovascular Risk” and “Osteoporosis: Prevention and Treatment”. Dr. Pokrywka has served for years on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Clinical Lipidology, and was promoted to Associate Editor in 2017. In 2010 Dr. Pokrywka became the first NLA Fellow to offer both in-office Carotid IMT testing for the detection of subclinical atherosclerosis, as well as a CardioMetabolic Disease reduction / wellness program in partnership with Metagenics, Inc. (“FirstLine Therapy”) and Board Certified Clinical Nutritionists. Dr. Pokrywka serves on the National Lecture Bureaus of multiple pharmaceutical companies.

Non-medical activities include a lifelong participation in sports, including coaching recreational 

league basketball, the pursuit and study of reptiles and amphibians, and outdoor recreation (hiking, camping, sea kayaking, geocaching). He is the Co-Founder, President Emeritus and a current Board Member of MATTS, the Mid-Atlantic Turtle and Tortoise Society, Inc. Since 2015 Dr. Pokrywka has served as Organizer and Executive Director for the WatersEdge Kayak Club. Another passion is Polar Bear Super-Plunging (24 Plunges in 24 hours!) in the frosty January Chesapeake Bay, and other volunteer work for the Maryland Special Olympics.

Contact info: 410 337 0720 (Kristen) or gpokmd@verizon.net  (PREFERRED)  / gpokryw1@jhmi.edu 

Publications:

“Intestinally Bioactive Therapies for Hypercholesterolemia : Ezetimibe, Bile Acid Resins and Plant Sterols”. Thomas Dayspring and Gregory Pokrywka. In Therapeutic Lipidology, Second Edition, 2019, edited by Michael H. Davidson, MD, Peter P. Toth, MD, PhD, and Kevin C. Maki, PhD, in press, to be published by SpringerNature.

“Update on FOURIER Trial Subgroup Analyses”. Dharmesh Patel and Gregory S Pokrywka. National Lipid Assn. Lipid Spin, Summer 2019, article in press.

“Lp(a) in Women. Pathophysiology and Management Update” . Myerson, Brinton Pokrywka and Wild. Journal of Clinical Lipidology, 2019, in press.

“PCSK9 Inhibitors: A Non-Statin Cholesterol-Lowering Treatment Option.” 2018, POSTGRADUATE MEDICINE, 2018
https://doi.org/10.1080/00325481.2018.1436843

 “Worsening Lipoproteins on a Low Carb Diet.” NLA Lipid Spin, 2016, 14(2); 10-12.

“Use of a Blood-Based Age/Sex/Gene Expression Test Was Associated with Prescriptions for Lipid-Lowering Medications and Lifestyle Changes among Symptomatic Patients at Increased Cardiovascular Risk for Obstructive Coronary Artery Disease: Subgroup Analysis” Abstract /Poster #107, NLA Scientific Sessions Chicago, June 2015.

“Clinical Trials of Alternative Medicine: Testing Whether Magic Works.” NLA Lipid Spin, 2015, 13(1); 14-15.

“Managing to Low-Density Lipoprotein Particles Compared to Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol: A Cost-Effective Analysis” , Rizzo JA, Mallow PJ, Waters HC, Pokrywka GS, et al, Journal of Clinical Lipidology (2013), doi: 10.1016/j.jacl.2013.06.004. 

“Beyond LDL in the Prevention and Management of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease”, The Maryland Family Doctor, Fall 2013, 50(2); 15-17.

 “Heterogeneity of LDL and HDL Particle Concentrations in Subjects Meeting LDL-Cholesterol Goals”, James Underberg, MD, Gregory Pokrywka, MD,Hollye Garner, PhD, Ray Pourfarzib, PhD,Deborah Winegar, PhD.  Poster NLA Scientific Sessions, 2013, Journal of Clinical Lipidology, Vol 7, No 3, June 2013

“Nonpharmacologic and Complementary Approaches to Lipid Management.” NLA Lipid Spin, 2011, 9(1); 5-8. 

Statin Use by Women’s Health Care Providers” 1/2010 North American Menopasue Society “E-Consult”.

NAMS Clinician’s Corner 1/2010 on ““Are changes in Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Midlife Women due to Chronological Aging or to the Menopausal Transition?”  

“Residual Risk Reduction in Insulin Resistant Patients” NLA Lipid Spin, Summer 2009.

“The Impact of Triglycerides on Lipid and Lipoprotein Biology in Women”. Dayspring TD & Pokrywka G. Gender Medicine 2010, 7(3); 189-205.

“Triglycerides and Atherosclerosis”. Dayspring T, Pokrywka G.  Chapter 8. Year in Lipid Disorders Volume 2 Clinical Publishing, Oxford UK, May 2010.

“Beyond Cholesterol. A Special Report on Lipids for Primary Care“(with the National Lipid Assn. Consumer Affairs Committee) 2008. See www.learnyourlipids.com

“Drug Therapy for Hypertriglyceridemia: Fibrates and Omega-3 Fatty Acids.” With P Toth and T Dayspring MD.  Current Atherosclerosis Reports 2009, 11: 71 – 79.

“Debating Cardiovascular Goals: Raising HDL Cholesterol in Patients with Diabetes” (response). Diabetes DOC News 2007, 4(10), 5.

“Diagnosis and Treatment of the Metabolic Syndrome in Menopausal Women”. Menopause Management  Nov/2007; 16(6), 16-28.

“Fibrate Therapy in Patients with Metabolic Syndrome and Diabetes Mellitus”, T Dayspring MD and G S    Pokrywka MD, Current Atherosclerosis Reports 2006; 8:356-364.

“Pharmacotherapeutic Decisions in Menopausal Women with Cardiovascular Risk”, T. Dayspring MD and Gregory Pokrywka MD. Future Lipidology 2007, 2(2), 197-210.

CME Publications and Media:

The Role of Fibrates in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease. CME activity for the Foundation for Health Improvement & Technology. 2013. http://www.lecturepad.org/index.php/component/guru/guruPrograms/2-cardiovascular-diabetes-lipids-lipidology-cme/3-the-role-of-fibrates-in-patients-with-chronic-kidney-disease/view/892?task=view

Atherogenic Dyslipidemia Pocket Guide. Comprehensive Lipoprotein Management to Reduce Residual CVD Risk. Academy for Continued Healthcare Learning 

Pri-Med Dyslipidemia Lectures 2008- 2103

The Role of Fenofibrate in Patients with Diabetes: Improving Cardiovascular Outcomes, Microvascular Disease, and Patient Quality of Life. Frank Sacks MD and Gregory Pokrywka MD. Perspectives in Medicine, June 2007. Academy for Continued Healthcare Learning.

The Role of Fenofibrate in a Comprehensive Approach for Managing Cardiovascular and Microvascular Complications of Diabetes.  Mark J Cziraky, PharmD and Gregory Pokrywka MD.

Pharmacy Times, October 2007. Academy for Continued Healthcare Learning.

American College of Gynecology UPDATE Volume 32, #3 (Sept. 2006) “Cardiovascular Issues in Women” was done with Drs. Thomas Dayspring and James Underberg. 

“Hypertriglyceridemia” was recorded as a Biodiscussion lecture 4/2007 with Drs. Rade Pejic and Thomas Dayspring, and can be found at www.biodiscussion.com (Cardiovascular Forum.) 

“Cardiovascular Risk in PolyCystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) Patients”, radio interview 2010, 2014, http://www.pcoschallenge.com