Triglycerides, Lipoproteins, and Coronary Artery Disease

Abstract

The present state of knowledge of lipid metabolism and vascular disease has been achieved by advances in many disciplines. The contributions of the basic sciences cannot be clearly separated from those of clinical medicine and epidemiology because of the immense impact of each on the others. The present summary will include, therefore, references to relevant clinical observations as well as to more basic experiments in an attempt to find working hypotheses supported by data from various fields. Particular consideration will be given to the relation of serum triglyceride abnormalities to other serum lipid derangements which have been reported in this disorder. Serum Lipid Derangements in Coronary Artery Disease The various findings which have been reported are in part a reflection of available methods and include elevation of serum cholesterol concentration and of cholesterol: phospholipid ratio, a relative or absolute increase in low density or β-lipoproteins, an increased triglyceride concentration, and