Lipids, Nutrition, and Coronary Heart Disease

Dietary saturated fat and cholesterol exert a profound effect on plasma lipoproteins and their subsequent contribution to the development of coronary heart disease. The epidemiologic and pathophysiologic evidence linking diet, plasma cholesterol, and coronary atherogenesis is reviewed, and the influence of various dietary constituents on plasma lipids is discussed. A practical lipoprotein classification scheme is outlined, with specific diet and drug treatment recommendations presented.