Coronary heart disease (CHD) remains the leading single cause of death in the United States, and elevated serum cholesterol is the most widely rec­ ognized risk factor for myocardial infarction and CHD death. Furthermore, a large body of experimental evidence supports acceptance of hypercholesterolemia as a causal and reversible (i.e., treatable) agent in coronary artery arthersclerosis. Acknowledging the potential benefit of, and widespread need for, cholesterol-lowering interventions, the National Cholesterol Education Program has issued guidelines for the treatment of severe as well as mild hypercholesterolemia, particularly in persons with other CHD risk factors (Summary of the second report of the National Cholesterol Education Program, 1993). According to recent estimates, some 52 million adults (29% of the population) qualify for targeted dietary treatment (Sempos et al., 1993). Assuming a 10% reduction in cholesterol with diet modification, it is estimated that 7%, or 13 million would also

require long-term drug therapy to reach their goal reductions in cholesterol level. Because cholesterol levels tend to increase with age, a preponder­ ance of the general population targeted for dietary and phamacologic treat­ ment is over 65 years of age.