title: Sulphur: the vulnerable factor X in atherosclerosis.
abstract: In the light of Erwin Schrödinger's remark, that all science is in constant interaction with culture and human thoughts, I want to propose a hypothesis regarding the etiology of atherosclerosis, that challenges the lipid theory. In our Western culture fat is associated with bad habits, bad character and illness, thus it was not surprising that hyperlipidemia was proposed to be the etiological cause of atherosclerosis and early death in coronary heart disease. This made us look in the wrong direction and enormous amounts of money and personal prestige has been invested in the lipid theory. I believe instead that the answer to the question of what is behind the atherosclerotic process, is hidden in the structure of the extracellular matrix. Our defenses, developed by evolution, against harmful protein modulation are today overcome by new substances in food and environment. The result of this is an injury to the basal membrane in the wall of the blood vessel and the atherosclerotic process starts.
authors.affiliation: Hospital of Oskarshamn, Oskarshamn, Sweden. hollertz@home.se
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Hollertz
mesh_terms: D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001485:Basement Membrane / Q000503:physiopathology; D005075:Biological Evolution; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000502:physiology; D024141:Collagen Type IV / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D013455:Sulfur / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D024141:Collagen Type IV; D013455:Sulfur; D002784:Cholesterol