The Genetic Hyperlipidemias

Abstract

Interest in the hyperlipidemias comes from their association with coronary heart disease. The high frequency of atherosclerosis in modern Western societies has led to intensive studies in a search for predisposing risk factors. Current data leave little doubt that hypercholesterolemia and probably hypertriglyceridemia are associated with an increased risk for premature coronary atherosclerosis. The mean age of unselected male survivors of myocardial infarction who had monogenic hyperlipidemia (see Table 1 and below) was 52 years as compared with 63 years among patients with myocardial infarction without hyperlipidemia. Similarly, 40 to 80 per cent of patients with coronary heart disease at the age . . .