The cholesterol controversy : the series

Abstract

Atherosclerosis remains the number one cause of morbidity and mortality in most countries. After almost a century of research, the creation of a huge industry in blood cholesterol testing and marketing of statins, as well as significant advances in interventional cardiology and coronary bypass surgery, the causation and pathogenesis of atherosclerosis remains, as yet, not only poorly understood, but actually controversial. If the risk factors for atherosclerosis remain poorly understood, and some very controversial, it is no wonder that in spite of improved survival from coronary heart disease (CHD) (due to all the efforts and funds spent on investigations and treatment), there is no good evidence that the incidence of atherosclerosis has significantly decreased.