Atherogenic hyperlipoproteinemia. The cellular and molecular biology of plasma lipoproteins altered by dietary fat and cholesterol.

Diets high in saturated fat and cholesterol cause alterations in the plasma lipoproteins, and these alterations cause certain of the lipoproteins to deliver cholesterol to the cells of the arterial wall. Other changes in lipoprotein are induced as an attempt to compensate for the delivery of cholesterol to cells. Atherosclerosis results when influx of cholesterol into the arterial wall exceeds egress of cholesterol from the tissues. The interactions of the various plasma lipoproteins are described in order to generate a reasonable hypothesis characterizing atherogenic hyperlipoproteinemia.