Atherosclerosis lipid levels

Thus, it is apparent that soya, some soya products and linseed oil influence blood lipid levels, particularly cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. While the extent of the reduction appears to largely depend on an individual s initial serum cholesterol level, the maximum reductions observed are of the order of 10-15%. For hyperlipidemic individuals this may not be a marked reduction, but such an effect on the general population may well have a beneficial effect on the overall incidence of cardiovascular disease and atherosclerosis. The possibility that non-phytoestrogenic dietary components may contribute to the hypocholes-terolemic properties cannot, however, be discounted. Indeed, certain types of dietary fibre have been shown to have a hypolipidemic effect via their ability to increase faecal excretion rates. 

In kindreds with this disorder, individuals may have elevated levels of VLDL, LDL, or both, and the pattern may change with time. Familial combined hyperlipoproteinemia involves an approximate doubling in VLDL secretion. It seems to be transmitted as a semidominant trait. Triglycerides can be increased by the factors noted above. Elevations of cholesterol and triglycerides are generally moderate, and xanthomas are usually absent. Drug treatment is warranted because the risk of coronary atherosclerosis is increased and diet alone does not normalize lipid levels. A reductase inhibitor or ezetimibe in combination with niacin is usually required to treat these patients. 

Carmena-Ramon RF, Ordovas JM, Ascaso JF, Real J, Priego MA, Carmena R. Influence of genetic variation at the apo A-I gene locus on lipid levels and response to diet in familial hypercholesterolemia. Atherosclerosis. 1998,139 107-113. 

The clinical manifestations of PAD are associated with reduction in functional capacity and quality of life, but because of the systemic nature of the atherosclerotic process there is a strong association with coronary and carotid artery disease. Consequently, patients with PAD have an increased risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular ischemic events [myocardial infarction (Ml), ischemic stroke, and death] compared to the general population (4,5). In addition, these cardiovascular ischemic events are more frequent than ischemic limb events in any lower extremity PAD cohort, whether individuals present without symptoms or with atypical leg pain, classic claudication, or critical limb ischemia (6). Therefore, aggressive treatment of known risk factors for progression of atherosclerosis is warranted. In addition to tobacco cessation, encouragement of daily exercise and use of a low cholesterol, low salt diet, PAD patients should be offered therapies to reduce lipid levels, control blood pressure, control blood glucose in patients with diabetes mellitus, and offer other effective antiatherosclerotic strategies. A recent position paper... 

There is evidence that links apoB and apoA-I levels to the incidence of coronary heart disease, and that suggests that plasma apolipoproteins may serve as a better marker of risk for atherosclerosis than plasma lipid levels. Details are discussed in Sections 4.1.5 and 4.4.10 a useful review has been published (B59). 

Gardner, C.D., Chatteijee, L.M., and Carlson, J.J. 2001. The effect of a garlic preparation on plasma lipid levels in moderately hypercholesterolemic adults. Atherosclerosis 154, 213—220. 

Sharma, R.D. 1979. Effect of various isoflavones on lipid levels in triton treated rats. Atherosclerosis... 

It is important to note that an elevated and/or altered plasma lipid level is only one of a wide range of risk factors that contribute to the clinical manifestations of cardiovascular disease in humans (Lusis, 2000). Consequently, in some studies, the reduced incidence of atherosclerosis in animals fed CLA was not accompanied by an improvement in the plasma lipid profile during the CLA feeding phase (Wilson et al, 2000). Reasons for these effects are not understood fully. However, atherosclerosis can also be considered as a chronic inflammatory disease (Libby, 2002) and several important anti-inflammatory effects have been associated with the use of RA these include a reduction in the expression of COX-2, PGE2, reduced release of nitric oxide, a decreased production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and PPARy activation (Urquhart et al, 2002 Yu et al, 2002 Toomey et al, 2003). 

The commonly recognized risk factors for atherosclerosis include increasing age, sex (males > females until menopause, after which the incidence is similar), serum lipid levels (increased total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, etc.), diabetes melli-tus, hypertension, and obesity. Other less well recognized but very important risk factors include increased plasma homocysteine, fibrinogen, and coagulation factor VII increased blood hematocrit, leukocyte count (increased neutrophils), and C-reactive protein and clinical depression. 

Alpha-tocopherol acetate (vitamin E) has no effect on lipid levels but is a powerful antioxidant. Considerable evidence points to oxidation of LDL as an essential step in the development of atheroma, and therefore interest has centred on the role of either endogenous or therapeutic vitamin E in prevention of atheroma. Reduced concentrations of vitamin E in both blood and fat (vitamin E is a fat soluble vitamin) are found in inhabitants of countries with a high prevalence of ischaemic heart disease, and (within these countries) in patients who develop ischaemic heart disease. A high dose reduced by half the risk of myocardial infarction in 2000 patients with angina and positive coronary angiogram. However most other studies have failed to confirm this finding and there is no indication at present for routine prescribing of a-tocopherol in the treatment or prevention of atherosclerosis. 

Kano H, Hayashi T, Sumi D, Esaki T, Asai Y, et al. 1999. A HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor improved regression of atherosclerosis in the rabbit aorta without affecting serum lipid levels possible relevance of up-regulation of endothelial NO synthase mRNA. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 259 414-19... 

Chen YC, Chen YD, Li X, Post W, Herrington D, Polak JF, Rotter JI, Taylor KD (2009) The HMG-CoA reductase gene and lipid and lipoprotein levels the multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis. Lipids 44 733-743... 

Polisecki E, Muallem H, Maeda N, Peter I, Robertson M, McMahon AD, Ford I, Packard C, Shepherd J, Jukema JW, Westendorp RG, de Craen AJ, Buckley BM, Ordovas JM, Schaefer EJ (2008) Genetic variation at the LDL receptor and HMG-CoA reductase gene loci, lipid levels, statin response, and cardiovascular disease incidence in PROSPER.. Atherosclerosis 200 109-114... 

Turban S, Fuentes F, Ferlic L, et al. A prospective study of paraxonase gene Q/R192 polymorphism and severity, progression and regression of coronary atherosclerosis, plasma lipid levels, clinical events and response to fiuvastatin. Atherosclerosis 2001 154 633-640. 

The therapeutic indications for garlic bulb are prophylaxis of atherosclerosis treatment of elevated blood lipid levels, insufficiently influenced by diet improvement of the circulation in peripheral arterial vascular disease and respiratory infections and catarrhal conditions. 

Ivan Applebod s total cholesterol level is now 315 mg/dL, slightly higher than his previous level of 296. (The currently recommended level for total serum cholesterol is 200 mg/dL or less.) His triacylglycerol level is 250 mg/dL (normal is between 60 and 160 mg/dL). These lipid levels clearly indicate that Mr. Applebod has a hyperlipidemia (high level of lipoproteins in the blood) and therefore is at risk for the future development of atherosclerosis and its consequences, such as heart attacks and strokes. 

Rakic V, Puddey IB, Dimmitt SB, Burke V, and Beilin LJ, A controlled trial of the effects of pattern of alcohol intake on serum lipid levels in regular drinkers. Atherosclerosis, Apr 1998 137(2) 243-252. 

The results of these studies indicated that CLA at levels of 0.1% in the diet inhibited atherogenesis and at levels of 1.0% caused significant regression of atherosclerosis in rabbits. In addition to a reduction in aortic plaque formation and modulating liver and serum lipid levels, CLA has also been demonstrated to reduce systolic blood pressure in OLETF rats, a strain developed as a model of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) with mild obesita (59). 

The mechanisms whereby CLA inhibits atherogenesis and affects progression of established lesions are moot. Hypercholesterolemia is a risk factor for heart disease in humans and is associated with atherosclerosis in experimental animals. In our first study (1), the rabbits were maintained on the atherogenic regimen for 22 wk. Differences in serum lipids and lipoproteins did not appear until wk 14. All our subsequent experiments were 12 wk in duration, and in every case, we found serum lipid levels in the control and test groups to be similar. Disparities between... 

Clinical coronary heart disease usually appears at least two or three decades after the onset of pathological lesions of coronary atherosclerosis. Epidemiological studies emphasize that hyperlipidemia, especially hypercholesterolemia, is a primary risk factor which should be construed as a warning sign. Normalization of high blood-lipid levels could start, therefore, long before the acute phases of coronary heart disease are manifest. 

Using a hamster model of atherosclerosis, Auger et al. showed aortic fatty streak area was significantly reduced (76%) in the group receiving resveratrol at a level corresponding to a moderate consumption of red wine [177]. Orally administrated resveratrol in rats maintained on a hypercholesterolemic diet improves the plasma lipid levels altered such as total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, and HDL cholesterol [178]. 

Wang Z, Zou J, Cao K, Hsieh T, Huang Y, Wu JM (2005) Dealcoholized red wine containing known amounts of resveratrol suppresses atherosclerosis in hypercholesterolemie rabbits without affecting plasma lipid levels. Int J Mol Med 16 533-540... 

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