Cholesterol and Familial Hypercholesterolemia
Winter Term Project '97
Chemistry and Biochemistry Department
Middlebury College
Syhsien Ho '98 & Thun Thamrong-nawasawat '98
Abstract
Cholesterol is a waxy substance that is essential to
life. Everybody needs cholesterol in order for his/her body to be functioning
properly. However, cholesterol is also an agent that is responsible for
cardiovascular disease and stroke: the two main killers of the human population.
Hypercholesterolemia describes patients with high cholesterol level in
their bloodstream, resulting from high-fat diet. Famillial Hypercholesterolemia
(FH) is a genetic disease which describes patients with mutated LDL receptors,
resulting in two to three-fold higher concentration of serum cholesterol
and LDL particles in their bloodstream. These FH patients generally experience
much higher risk of heart attack and/or stroke at an early age. The cholesterol-lowering
drugs such as lovastatin target on the inhibition of HMG-CoA reductase
and reduce the body's cholesterol biosynthesis.
Introduction:
Cholesterol
Familial
hypercholesterolemia
Lovastatin
References
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Any
comment or suggestion?? thamrong@panther.middlebury.edu
This page was last updated on January 27, 1997