Dr. Douglas Triffon, MD
Not yet claimedLipidologist, Cardiologist, Preventive cardiologist · Physician (MD)
La Jolla, CA
Physician certified in clinical lipidology by the American Board of Clinical Lipidology, practicing at Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, CA. Lipidologists manage cholesterol, triglycerides, and lipoprotein(a) with guideline-based care.
About Dr. Douglas Triffon, MD
Updated Sep 20, 2026 · next review Dec 19, 2026Dr. Douglas W. Triffon is a cardiologist in La Jolla, California, who practices at Scripps Clinic. His listed specialties include cardiology, internal medicine, and integrative medicine, and he is part of the Scripps Clinic Division of Integrative Medicine at the Anderson Medical Pavilion (https://www.scripps.org/physicians/5512-douglas-triffon). He has been described as medical director of the Scripps Lipid Clinic (https://www.scripps.org/news_items/7169-new-heart-tests-save-san-diego-man-s-life).
He went to medical school at Ohio State University College of Medicine, finished his internal medicine training at the University of California, San Diego in 1982, and completed a cardiovascular disease fellowship at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in 1985 (https://www.scripps.org/physicians/5512-douglas-triffon). He holds California medical license G44525 (https://npiprofile.com/npi/1952358632).
Much of his public work centers on cholesterol and lipid care. He wrote a Scripps teaching presentation called "Advanced Lipid Management" that covers apoB, Lp(a), and the limits of standard risk ratios (https://www.scripps.org/assets/documents/triffon.pdf). In a 2015 local TV segment, Scripps described him as one of the first doctors in San Diego to prescribe a newly approved PCSK9 inhibitor cholesterol drug (https://www.scripps.org/news_items/5381-scripps-cardiologist-weighs-in-on-new-cholesterol-lowering-drug). A Scripps patient story describes a patient who could not tolerate statins being referred to his lipid clinic for diet-based management (https://www.scripps.org/news_items/3181-going-from-good-to-great).
Federal Open Payments records show he received $55,734.08 from drug and device companies across 416 records between 2021 and 2025. The largest payers were Esperion Therapeutics ($32,453.69), Amgen ($7,661.36), Regeneron ($5,011.36), Novartis ($4,010.27), and Amarin Pharma ($3,702.65). These companies make cholesterol and heart medicines. Payments like these are common and legal, and are publicly reported (https://openpaymentsdata.cms.gov/).
- Cardiology training
- Internal medicine training at UC San Diego (1982) and a cardiovascular disease fellowship at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center (1985). scripps.org
- Medical school
- Graduated from Ohio State University College of Medicine in 1979. doctor.webmd.com
- Lipid clinic director
- Described by Scripps as a Scripps Clinic cardiologist and medical director of the Scripps Lipid Clinic. scripps.org
- Integrative medicine division
- Listed among the physicians of the Scripps Clinic Division of Integrative Medicine at the La Jolla Anderson Medical Pavilion. scrippsclinicmedicalgroup.com
- Professional fellowships
- Listed with the credentials FACC, FNLA, and FASE, which are fellowship designations from the American College of Cardiology, the National Lipid Association, and the American Society of Echocardiography. learnskin.com
- Lipid teaching material
- Authored a Scripps lecture called "Advanced Lipid Management" covering apoB, Lp(a), and the limits of cholesterol risk ratios. scripps.org
- Clinical focus areas
- Listed interests include adult congenital heart disease, general cardiology, and cardiomyopathies. doximity.com
- Hospital affiliations
- Affiliations listed include Scripps Green Hospital, Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla, Naval Medical Center San Diego, and Tri-City Medical Center. doximity.com
- Published research
- A ResearchGate profile lists six publications, including earlier work on drugs for congestive heart failure and a 2016 cardiac tumor case report. researchgate.net
- California license
- Holds California medical license G44525, with a listed practice address at 10820 N Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla. npiprofile.com
Worth knowing
- Open Payments records show $55,734.08 in industry payments across 416 records from 2021 to 2025, mostly from makers of cholesterol drugs, including Esperion Therapeutics ($32,453.69) and Amgen ($7,661.36). Such payments are common and legal, but patients may want to know about them since his public work focuses on cholesterol treatment. openpaymentsdata.cms.gov
- Board certification listings are not consistent across sources. One site describes him as board certified in cardiovascular disease and internal medicine, while a payer directory lists board certification information as "Not Provided." Patients can ask his office or check the certifying board directly. healthgrades.com
- The researcher was not able to complete a full check of state license discipline records or the most recent news before reaching search limits, so that information is unverified here. npiprofile.com
Industry payments (CMS Open Payments)
Open the CMS recordFederal law requires drug and device companies to report what they pay clinicians: meals, travel, speaking, consulting, and research. Payments are common and legal; the point is that you can see them.
2021 to 2025
$55,734
416 payments
| 2021 | $34,433 |
| 2022 | $15,904 |
| 2023 | $2,293 |
| 2024 | $1,059 |
| 2025 | $2,045 |
Top payers
- Esperion Therapeutics, Inc.$32,454
- Amgen Inc.$7,661
- Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.$5,011
- Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation$4,010
- Amarin Pharma Inc.$3,703
Payment types
- Compensation for services other than consulting, including serving as faculty or as a speaker at a venue other than a continuing education program$41,708
- Food and Beverage$7,526
- Travel and Lodging$3,478
- Consulting Fee$2,532
- Honoraria$475
A word of caution about these numbers
A payment does not mean your doctor is compromised or acting unethically. Most of these entries are drug samples left for patients, or lunch brought in for the office staff, and the amounts are usually small. Research funding and speaking at medical meetings are also normal parts of a clinical career.
As a rough guide, a total under $15,000 a year is usually not a concern. Much larger sums, especially from one company whose product your doctor recommends to you, are worth asking about. You are allowed to ask.
Sources: scripps.org · scrippsclinicmedicalgroup.com · linkedin.com · doctor.webmd.com · doximity.com · npiprofile.com · lipidboard.org · healthgrades.com. Something wrong or out of date? Tell us and we will correct it.
Summary prepared with AI assistance from the public sources linked above, reviewed every three months. It is not a review, a rating, or an endorsement.
Practice location
Scripps Clinic
10820 N Torrey Pines Rd
La Jolla, CA 92037
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