Drug Treatment of Lipid Disorders

Arteriosclerosis of the coronary and peripheral vasculature is the leading cause of death among men and women in the United States1 and worldwide.2 In 1992, for example, cardiovascular disease accounted for 38 percent of deaths from all causes among men and 42 percent of all deaths among women in Washington State3; nationwide, the mortality rate for cardiovascular disease is approximately 50 percent.4 Mechanisms of AtherogenesisCentral to the pathogenesis of arteriosclerosis is the deposition of cholesterol in the arterial wall.5,6 Nearly all lipoproteins are involved in this process, including cholesterol carried by very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL),7,8 remnant lipoprotein, . . .