Lipoproteins and coronary heart disease.

With increasing acknowledgement of the multiple risk factor approach to the prevention of coronary heart disease (CHD), physicians treating hypertension have turned their attention to the presence of other CHD risk factors, particularly dyslipidaemia, in their patients. There appears to be a 'clustering' of lipid abnormalities within the hypertensive population and furthermore, some antihypertensive agents may have adverse effects on plasma lipid and lipoprotein concentrations. In this article lipoprotein metabolism is reviewed and the evidence linking individual lipoproteins to the atherosclerotic process discussed. Finally, some guidelines are given for the dietary and, where necessary, the pharmacological modification of plasma lipoprotein concentrations.