Cholesterol and atherosclerotic vascular disease: from science to public health policy

Advances in our understanding of the pathology, epidemiology, genetics (particularly the recent research on transgenic animals) and the results of randomized prospective clinical trials all contribute to the formation of public health policy on serum cholesterol and other lipids. This article outlines the scientific background of these policies. There remains little doubt that dyslipidemia contributes to the development of coronary atherosclerosis and that effective treatment can prevent or retard its development.