Clinical Lipidology

Author: Zhao Shuiping, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-12-01
Features: Blood lipids mainly refer to cholesterol and triglycerides present in plasma. Dyslipidemia is not only closely related to the occurrence and development of atherosclerosis but also plays a significant role in the onset of acute coronary events (such as sudden coronary death, acute myocardial infarction, and unstable angina). The basic research on cholesterol and atherosclerosis in humans has spanned over 100 years, fully recognizing that cholesterol plays a key role in the development of atherosclerosis. In the past half-century, numerous large-scale clinical trials have repeatedly confirmed that reducing plasma cholesterol levels not only significantly reduces the risk of coronary events but is also an effective measure for primary and secondary prevention of coronary heart disease. These fruitful clinical research outcomes have further advanced the basic research on dyslipidemia and coronary heart disease, rapidly promoting the development and refinement of clinical lipidology, which has now become an independent discipline. Recent health survey data released by the Ministry of Health indicate that due to lifestyle changes, the incidence of dyslipidemia is rapidly increasing, with approximately 160 million people in China suffering from dyslipidemia. The incidence of coronary heart disease associated with it is also doubling. To more effectively prevent and treat dyslipidemia, the Ministry of Health approved the China Cholesterol Education Program in 2004, conducting lipid education campaigns in many major and medium-sized cities nationwide, significantly improving the understanding of blood lipids among medical professionals. As lipidology is an interdisciplinary field involving cardiology, endocrinology and metabolism, neurology, nephrology, geriatrics, and pediatrics, research on blood lipids has garnered attention from medical practitioners. Clinical Lipidology is divided into four parts: "Basics of Lipid Metabolism," "Dyslipidemia," "Clinical Lipids," and "Treatment of Dyslipidemia," totaling 52 chapters. Each chapter of the book has been as closely referenced to literature available by the end of 2005 as possible.