Dyslipidemia and Cardiovascular Disease

Four non-communicable diseases (NCDs) including cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer, chronic respiratory disease, and diabetes were announced by World Health Organization (WHO) as the major causes of mortality in the world in 2008(Alwan, 2008). According to WHO prediction, in the next 10 years, mortality rate caused by NCDs will increase by 17 percent with the highest mortality rate in the regions of Africa (27 percent) and Eastern Mediterranean (EMRO, 25 percent) (Alwan, 2008). Fortunately more than 80 percent of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes mellitus incidence and almost one third of cancers could be prevented with appropriate interventions to reduce the effect of risk factors (Alwan, 2008). Dyslipidemia, as a risk factor of CVD, is manifested by elevation or attenuation of plasma concentration of lipoproteins. Several methods have been used to classify the lipoproteins in respect to their density, physical, and chemical properties. Based on these classifications, different types of lipoproteins, including chylomicrones, IDL1, VLDL2, LDL3, and HDL4, and apolipoproteins (Apo), including Apo A, Apo B, Apo C, and Apo E, have been introduced. Generally, dyslipidemia is defined as the total cholesterol, LDL, triglycerides, apo B or Lp (a) levels above the 90th percentile or HDL and apo A levels below the 10th percentile of the general population (Dobsn et al., 1996). CVD is the most common health problem worldwide. This disease is often manifested as coronary heart disease (CHD). According to the international reports, mortality of CHD in the developed countries is expected to reach almost 29 percent in women and 48 percent in men in years 1990-2020. These figures have been estimated to increase by 120 percent in women and 137 percent in men (Thom et al., 1998) in the developing countries. Atherosclerosis is the most common cause of CHD. According to recent epidemiological studies, hypercholesterolemia and possibly coronary atherosclerosis are suggested as the sole risk factors of ischemic stroke. The results of a meta-analysis of 10 large cohort studies (Law et al., 1994) showed that for each 0.6 mmol/l reduction in serum cholesterol levels in