ABSTRACT
Cholesterol is carried through the circulation in the form of lipoproteins, pseudomicellar complexes which solubilize hydrophobic lipid components and direct their metabolic fate. Most cholesterol in humans is transported in low-density lipoprotein (LDL), a particle considered to be the main atherogenic component of the lipoprotein spectrum. High-density lipoprotein (HDL), on the other hand, is a protective factor against CHD, exhibiting a strong inverse relationship to risk.2 Very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) and chylomicrons are the principal triglyceride transporters in the fasted and fed states respectively. Their relationship to disease has been the subject of controversy for a number of years, but it is now clear that they make a small, independent contribution to risk.3
