[Nutrition and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease].

Atherosclerotic lesion called atheroma includes large amounts of cholesterol. Intake of cholesterol and quality of free fatty acids contributes to the increase of serum cholesterol level and the development of atherosclerosis. A high level of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol is established as a the most dangerous risk factor to promote atherosclerosis. However, recent dietary instruction is focusing on the diet pattern instead of the dietary individual nutrients including cholesterol. We discuss the problem concerning dietary lipids and others for the prevention of atherosclerosis.