5. TREATMENT OF hypercholesterolemia Dietary Treatment of Cholesterolemia

The dietary treatment of hypercholesterolemia has been reviewed elsewhere (72). Cholesterol-lowering diets involve the reduction of overall fat and cholesterol intake, and the substitution of polyunsaturated vegetable oils for saturated fats and complex carbohydrates for sugars (116). Many people have reduced their cholesterol levels dramatically by diet alone. However, when averaged across many individuals, the reduction in serum cholesterol in the randomized trials of dietary interventions has been modest. In the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial (MRFIT), diet reduced the cholesterol level by an average of about 7 percent.