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Current Drug Targets - Immune, Endocrine & Metabolic Disorders

Editor-in-Chief

ISSN (Print): 1568-0088
ISSN (Online): 1875-5917

HDL and Inflammation in Atherosclerosis

Author(s): Lukas E. Spieker, Frank Ruschitzka, Thomas F. Luscher and Georg Noll

Volume 4, Issue 1, 2004

Page: [51 - 57] Pages: 7

DOI: 10.2174/1568005310404010051

Price: $65

Abstract

Atherosclerotic vascular disease is among the most frequent causes of death worldwide. Current therapeutic strategies concentrate mainly on lowering of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and an impressive reduction in the risk for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality has been achieved. Inflammatory mechanisms are more and more recognized to play an important role in vascular disease as inflammatory markers correlate with prognosis in acute and chronic coronary artery disease. HDL cholesterol exerts antiinflammatory effects on the vasculature. Moreover, HDL is an antioxidant, inhibits thrombogenesis, and has pro-fibrinolytic properties. Last but not least, HDL mediates reverse cholesterol transport. These pleiotropic effects make HDL an ideal therapeutic target for novel therapeutic strategies specifically aiming at HDL elevation for the prevention and treatment of atherosclerotic vascular disease.

Keywords: hypercholesterolemia, coronary artery disease


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