ABSTRACT
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the Western societies. High total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels are considered the major risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD) (Steinberg and Gotto, 1999). Current evidence has determined a positive association between lifestyle and dietary factors as they correlate with blood lipid concentrations and CHD (Van Horn et al., 2008). It is well-documented that plasma TC levels are positively associated with ischemic heart disease (IHD) (Lewington et al., 2007), and a 1% decline in TC could be expected to reduce the risk of CHD by 2.7%. Similarly, a 10% decrease in LDL-C is associated with about 12% to 20% decline in the population incidence of IHD over 5 years (Katan et al., 2003). Hence, reducing blood cholesterol levels may be needed to lower risk of CVD. Therapeutic life-style changes, such as inclusion of dietary phytosterols, may reduce cardiovascular risk.
