ABSTRACT
Abnormalities of plasma lipoprotein transport are expressed as either hyperlipidaemia or hypolipidaemia. Nowadays the hyperlipidaemias are usually classified phenotypically as hypercholesterolaemia, hypertriglyceridaemia and mixed hyperlipidaemia whereas the hypolipidaemias are sub-divided into disorders characterised by either hypo lipoproteinaemia or by hypo lipoproteinaemia. Recent advances in molecular biology have enabled an increasing number of primary lipoprotein disorders to be defined genotypically in terms of the mutation of the receptor, ligand or enzyme responsible. Genetic predisposition also plays a role in the expression of some secondary forms of dyslipidaemia.
