ABSTRACT
In the United States, cardiovascular disease is responsible for more years of potential life lost before the age of 75 than any other condition and creates an immense economic burden in health care costs and lost productivity. The Framingham Heart Study has played a vital role in defining the contribution of risk factors to coronary heart disease. The major recognized risk factors include cigarette smoking, hypertension, high serum total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations, low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and diabetes mellitus. Epidemiologic observations, including results of the Framingham Study, clearly document the additive risk associated with an increase in the number of risk factors. Observations from autopsy studies also document a strong relation between cardiovascular disease risk factors and atherosclerosis in young people. Dietary consumption of trans fatty acids has a detrimental effect on serum lipid levels and on cardiovascular disease risk.
