CHOLESTEROL AND CARDIOVASCULAR-DISEASE - BASIC SCIENCE

Cholesterol is a normal constituent of blood plasma and of cell membra nes in every tissue of the body. It is transported in plasma as a comp onent of lipoproteins. Increased concentrations of specific lipoprotei n fractions, namely low density lipoproteins (LDL) and intermediate de nsity lipoproteins (IDL), have been implicated both in vitro and in vi vo as causes of atherosclerosis. The mechanism by which these lipoprot eins initiate atherosclerosis is unknown, although there is growing ev idence that it involves interactions between lipoproteins and cells wi thin the artery wall, setting in train complex reactions which lead ul timately to the fully developed lesion.