Open AccessEffect of Controlling Hypercholesterolemia on Myocardial Ischemia
Author(s) -
Favarato Desiderio,
De Padua Mansur Antonio
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
preventive cardiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1751-7141
pISSN - 1520-037X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1520-037x.2001.00536.x
Subject(s) - medicine , cardiology , endothelial dysfunction , coronary artery disease , lesion , cholesterol , ischemia , perfusion , blood pressure , disease , endothelium , surgery
Hypercholesterolemia causes myocardial ischemia, even in the absence of obstructive coronary artery lesions. Reductions in cholesterol are associated with improved clinical outcomes that may reflect reversal of endothelial dysfunction, lesion regression, or both. This review explores experimental and clinical evidence that supports these observations. These include: 1) mechanisms by which hypercholesterolemia (and other risk factors for coronary artery disease) causes endothelial dysfunction; 2) the role that hypercholesterolemia and endothelial dysfunction play in atherogenesis, lesion complications, and clinical ischemic syndromes; and 3) compelling data that illustrate the benefits of cholesterol control. The latter include transformation of the plaque lipid composition to a more favorable profile, improved blood pressure control, normalization of exercise test results, improved exercise tolerance, and reversal or prevention of myocardial perfusion abnormalities. Collectively, these data support the notion that control of cholesterol is important to both the prevention and treatment of cardiac disease.