Focus on cholesterol related health claims

摘要

Hypercholestelerolemia is the presence of high levels of cholesterol in the blood [1]. Since cholesterol is insoluble in water, it is transported in the blood stream within protein particles (lipoproteins). There are different lipoproteins, classifiedby their density: all of them carry cholesterol in the blood [2], but some of them, particularly low-density lipoproteins (LDL) are associated with an increased risk of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease [3]. The presence of high levels of non-HDL cholesterol (first of all LDL) may be due to many reasons such as diet, obesity, inherited diseases or other pathologies (hypothyroidism, diabetes). The first step to reduce total blood cholesterol and in particular LDL is to follow a diet containingless saturated fats [4], which plays a key role in the control of cholesterol.Armando Antonelli (Bl) Hylobates Consulting Sri, Rome armandoantonelli@hylobates.it