Management of blood lipid abnormalities in coronary heart disease patients.

Information obtained from clinical and laboratory research strongly supports a causal relationship between hyperlipidemia (dyslipidemia) and coronary heart disease (CHD), and provides an impetus to develop strategy for control of dyslipidemia. Some recent developments in the field may include the use of: (1) colestipol-niacin to control hypercholesterolemia and induce regression of coronary atherosclerosis; (2) limited amounts of foods rich in stearic or oleic fatty acids to enhance the appeal of cholesterol-lowering regimen; (3) gemfibrozil or lovastatin to inhibit cholesterol synthetic activity; and (4) gemfibrozil to raise atherosclerosis-protective plasma high-density lipoprotein levels. These and other newer developments will stimulate interest in research on dyslipidemia and its control to facilitate primary and secondary prevention of CHD.