The accumulation of lipids such as cholesterol characterizes atherosclerosis, the main cause of coronary heart disease and is classified according to its density.

LDL cholesterol = low-density lipoprotein
Cholesterol HDL = high-density lipoprotein

HDL cholesterol is a biomarker for assessing cardiovascular risk and is responsible for maintaining the arterial wall in good condition as it controls the transport of reverse cholesterol, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, vasodilator and antithrombotic effects.

LDL cholesterol should remain within safe limits as its increase can lead to cardiovascular disease

Studies

Association of dietary lipid intake with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels: analysis of two independent population-based studies.  Kwon YJ, Lee HS, Chang HJ, Koh SB, Lee JW.  Eur J Nutr. 2019 Oct 10. doi: 10.1007/s00394-019-02104-3

Red Wine Consumption and Cardiovascular Health.  Castaldo L, Narváez A, Izzo L, Graziani G, Gaspari A, Minno GD, Ritieni A.  Molecules. 2019 Oct 8;24(19). pii: E3626. doi: 10.3390/molecules24193626.

Recent Update to the Cholesterol Treatment Guidelines: A Comparison With International Guidelines. Nayor M, Vasan RS.  Circulation 2016; 133(18): 1795-806. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.116.021407 [ Links ]

Effects of rosuvastatin on the immune system in healthy volunteers with normal serum cholesterol.  Karmaus PW, Shi M, Perl S, Biancotto A, Candia J, Cheung F, Kotliarov Y, Young N, Fessler MB; CHI Consortium.  JCI Insight. 2019 Nov 1;4(21). pii: 131530. doi: 10.1172/jci.insight.131530