The rationale for controlling dietary lipids in the prevention of coronary heart disease.

Despite the acknowledged association between blood cholesterol levels and coronary heart disease, many people throughout the Americas remain uncertain about the importance of that association and available countermeasures. This article reviews the subject's historical background, results of recent studies, and current recommendations of leading expert groups in the United States. It also examines ways in which the body's cholesterol level is influenced by changes in the dietary intake of calories, saturated and unsaturated fats, and cholesterol, and recommends the adoption of specific dietary measures as a way of markedly improving public health.