[Lowered cholesterol beneficial for vascular endothelium]

Although it is logical that coronary artery plaque is reduced, or at least the stenotic process is inhibited, when blood lipid concentrations are normalised, this does not suffice to explain the beneficial outcome of treatment in cases of hypercholesterolaemia. Several recent studies have yielded manifest evidence of the effects of cholesterol on endothelial function. Via chemical mechanisms the endothelium exerts significant regulatory effects-e g, on vascular contractility, and intervention in this process offers several possibilities of treating and preventing coronary artery disease.