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Lipid Hypothesis of Atherosclerosis |
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Atherosclerosis is the formation of plaques in the
arterial wall causing impairment in the blood flow through the
arteries. It has been a major concern for the Americans as it strikes
almost 1.38 million American citizens, annually. The decipherment of
lipid as a major risk factor for atherosclerosis has established
significant pathological relation between atherosclerosis,
cardiovascular diseases and lipids. Since then, a number of researches
have been done to get more conclusive results about lipid hypothesis of
atherosclerosis.
The first theory regarding the genesis of atherosclerosis came in 1952,
which opined that formation of plaques occurs in intima of the arteries
due to the deposition of thrombus or clotted blood particles and
secondarily due to lipid deposition.
It was followed by some a new concept known as
inflammation theory which proposed that hardening and thickening of
arteries begins with lipid deposition into the arteries and the
interaction of lipids with the extra-cellular particles leads to
intimal proliferation. Later came some other postulates which
concentrated on the fact that endothelium or the inner lining of the
wall of arteries if injured, become more prone to lipid accumulation
and blood clotting in the arteries. Further advancement regarding this
theory came after a research done by seven countries which came to the
conclusion that coronary heart disease is intimately connected to the
cholesterol. CHD probability increases with the increase in the
cholesterol level. Moreover, it was also concluded that not only
low-density lipoprotein but also the HDL, high-density lipoprotein
comprises the major risk factor for atherosclerosis.
To substantiate this proposition a clinical trial was done to establish
that there is less cardiovascular morbidity with the decreased level of
LDL. Moreover, the studies and researches have also emphasized the role
of other lipid fractions in atherosclerosis such as triglycerides which
should be taken care of in therapy for atherosclerosis. The lipid
hypothesis of atherosclerosis is a matter of ongoing research and forms
the basis of any intricate diagnosis of diseases like CHD, heart attack
and even raised blood pressure.
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