ABSTRACT
Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is the major cause of morbidity and mortality in industrialized nations. The disease is complex, and many factors singly or in combination contribute to its etiology, including genetic predisposition,
hypercholesteremia (elevated cholesterol), hypertension, diabetes mellitus, smoking, obesity, and stress. Atherosclerosis, the condition whereby lipids accumulate in the artery wall, starts in the first decade of life and progresses throughout life; its severity is linked to the aforementioned risk factors. As the list of risk factors indicates, cholesterol, and
by extension, plasma lipoproteins, have a major role in the process of atherogenesis. The structure, synthesis, and metabolism of lipoproteins are reviewed in this chapter along with their role as positive or negative risk factors in premature atherosclerosis.
