1. A shot of good cholesterol: synthetic HDL, a new intervention for atherosclerosis.
- Author
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Dudley-Brown S
- Subjects
- Apolipoprotein A-I blood, Apolipoprotein A-I deficiency, Apolipoprotein A-I pharmacology, Arteriosclerosis blood, Arteriosclerosis epidemiology, Arteriosclerosis etiology, Cholesterol, LDL genetics, Cholesterol, LDL physiology, Humans, Hyperlipidemias complications, Hyperlipidemias drug therapy, Italy epidemiology, Mutation drug effects, Practice Guidelines as Topic, Predictive Value of Tests, Risk Factors, Treatment Outcome, Apolipoprotein A-I therapeutic use, Arteriosclerosis drug therapy, Cholesterol, LDL therapeutic use
- Abstract
One of the American Heart Association's Top 10 Research Advances for the Treatment of Heart Disease is the use of a synthetic form of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) to reduce coronary atherosclerosis (JAMA. 2003;290:2292-2300). While HDL has not been a target for therapy for dyslipidemias, new insight into the major protein component of HDL, apolipoprotein A-I, may lead to new therapies. Apolipoprotein A-I was recently found to be a better predictor of cardiovascular events than is low-density lipoprotein (Am Heart J. 2003;146:227-233; J Intern Med. 2004;255:188-205). This article reviews the recent study by Nissen and colleagues describing the finding of a genetic mutation in HDL in some persons in Italy and the subsequent development of a synthetic form of HDL to be used as an infusion to successfully target atherosclerotic lesions (JAMA. 2003;290:2292-2300). In addition, controversies related to HDL cholesterol as a target for therapy are reviewed. Implications for nursing research, education, and practice are also described.
- Published
- 2004
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