Dietary therapy for different forms of hyperlipoproteinemia.

Diet is the first line of therapy for hypercholesterolemia. The major dietary factors raising the plasma cholesterol are saturated fatty acids, cholesterol, and excess total calories. For almost all forms of hyperlipidemia, the first principle of dietary therapy is to reduce saturated fatty acids, decrease cholesterol, and curtail excess calories. In patients with severe hypercholesterolemia, marked restrictions of diet may be necessary. For these patients, drugs may be required to control cholesterol levels. However, the majority of patients with elevated plasma cholesterol can achieve a satisfactory reduction of cholesterol levels by diet, and drugs will not be necessary. Dietary therapy alone is adequate for most patients with familial forms of hypertriglyceridemia, but for a few patients drugs are required.