Foreword

Article Outline

• Copyright

Atherosclerotic vascular disease is a widely prevalent and very common disorder in almost all parts of the world and particularly in developed countries. Its effect on the coronary arteries has a devastating impact on people’s lives and quality-of-life.

While the emphasis has correctly been on low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, it has been known for a long period of time that high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) has a beneficial effect; the general public knows it as “good cholesterol.” At the present time we are poised on the edge of a probable major breakthrough in the ability to increase HDL cholesterol levels with pharmacological therapy. Thus, it has become imperative to have a thorough knowledge of this molecule.

Dr. de Lemos is a widely recognized expert in this area. In this issue of Problems in Cardiology, Dr. de Lemos and his colleagues have presented an excellent and exhaustive review on this topic. It has 161 references. They describe HDL metabolism, its actions, causes of low levels of HDL, and therapies to increase HDL. Importantly, they present guidelines to treat low HDL.

The Editorial Board and I are grateful to Dr. de Lemos and his colleagues for this superb article. We are also grateful to Drs. Gerald T. Gau^⁎ and Sidney Smith, Jr.^⁎⁎ for the most valuable comments they have provided.

• ⁎ Gerald T. Gau, MD is Professor of Medicine at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine.
• ⁎⁎ Sidney Smith Jr., MD is Professor of Medicine, Director, Center for Cardiovascular Science and Medicine at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC.