title: A century of cholesterol and coronaries: from plaques to genes to statins.
abstract: One-fourth of all deaths in industrialized countries result from coronary heart disease. A century of research has revealed the essential causative agent: cholesterol-carrying low-density lipoprotein (LDL). LDL is controlled by specific receptors (LDLRs) in liver that remove it from blood. Mutations that eliminate LDLRs raise LDL and cause heart attacks in childhood, whereas mutations that raise LDLRs reduce LDL and diminish heart attacks. If we are to eliminate coronary disease, lowering LDL should be the primary goal. Effective means to achieve this goal are currently available. The key questions are: who to treat, when to treat, and how long to treat.
authors: Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA. Electronic address: joe.goldstein@utsouthwestern.edu.
authors: Joseph L
authors: JL
authors: Goldstein
authors: Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA. Electronic address: mike.brown@utsouthwestern.edu.
authors: Michael S
authors: MS
authors: Brown
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011973:Receptors, LDL / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D011973:Receptors, LDL; D002784:Cholesterol