Beyond LDL Cholesterol; the Role of Apolipoprotein B, nonHDL-C, LDL Particles and HDL

Abstract

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is the worldwide leading cause of death, which involves multiple pathways in which lipoprotein entry and retention, injury to the vessel wall from several stimuli, and inflammation seem to play a key role. Currently available treatments are aimed at reducing the high plasma lipid concentrations, most particularly low density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol. Increasing evidence has revealed that the concentration and size of the LDL particles are powerfully related to the degree of atherosclerosis progression than the concentration of cholesterol contained within all the LDL particles. LDL particles actually vary in size and density, and studies have shown that a pattern that has more small dense LDL particles???called?  ???Pattern B?????equates to a higher risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD) than does a pattern with more of the larger and less dense LDL particles (???Pattern A??).