Foreword

Article Outline

• Copyright

Atherosclerotic vascular disease was a big killer and, although there has been a reduction of mortality and morbidity from these diseases, it still is a major and extremely important cause of death. Risk factor modification, for example, stopping smoking, has had a major impact. However, HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) have dramatically improved patient outcomes including an improved survival.

In this issue, Dr. Gau and Dr. Wright present the basic pathophysiology of dyslipidemia and its role in atherosclerosis. They review the role of risk factors (novel and conventional), new diagnostic tools, and effective lipid-lowering therapy.

Dr. Gau is a member of the NCEP Coordinating Committee and provides the readers of Current Problems in Cardiology with an expert’s knowledge of the topic. He has also been in the practice of preventive cardiology for 25 years, and thus, also provides a practitioner’s perspective. The Editorial Board and the Editor are grateful to the authors for this excellent article.