Introduction

Cholesterol is an important factor of cell membrane and the precursor of steroid hormones and bile acids. It is an essential component to the structure of human, yet it has been associated with cardiovascular disease and stroke. Cholesterol are commonly associate with Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL), and High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL). LDL is usually known as the "bad" cholesterol and the HDL is known as the "good" cholesterol. High blood cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia) results from the overproduction and/or under utilization of Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL). Two common causes of hypercholesterolemia are

1. Consumption of foods that are high in saturated fat and/or cholesterol.

2. The genetic disease Familial Hypercholesterolemia

The levels of either types of cholesterol can be effected by diet, exercise, alcohol, smoking, and certain illness. The LDL level becomes higher if the diet is high in fat. In Contrast, exercising regulary and controling the diet will increase the level of the HDL cholesterol.

Hypercholesterolemia is the disease that is directly responsible for the top agents that kill most lives in the world: heart attack and stroke. As a result of high consumption of cholesterol circulation in blood vessels, over time, small deposits form plaques known as atherosclerosis on the inside of the arteries. The deposition will eventually get large enough to reduce and block the blood flow. Depending on where the clots occur, certain fatal symtoms can take place. If the blockage occurs in the arteries supplying the heart, the result is a heart attack. If the blockage occurs in the arteries supplying the brain and causes parts of the brain to die, the result is a stroke.

Unlike the common hypercholesterolemia, Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a genetic disease. Patients with FH have the tendency to have much more serious conditions than the people who have high levels of cholesterol resulting merely from high fat diet. Patient suffers from FH has the higher risk of heart attacks, strokes, and sudden death.

There are two main strategies for hypercholesterolemia patient.

1) Ingestion of resins that bind bile acids thus prevent the intestinal absorption.

2) Treatment with cholesterol-lowering drugs.

Unfortunately, the decreased serum cholesterol level, resulting from the ingestion of resins that bind bile acids, also induces the synthesis of HMG CoA reductase, which increases the cholesterol biosynthesis. More effective ways of treatment are the cholesterol-lowering drugs which inhibits the HMG CoA reductase thus reducing the rate of cholesterol synthesis. There are many cholesterol-lowering drugs in the market. The main target of the drugs is to lower the serum cholesterol and LDL levels. An example of these drugs is lovastatin.

Abstract

Cholesterol

Familial Hypercholesterolemia

Lovastatin