Profound mortality rates, due to cardiovascular disease, are a worldwide problem. Cardiovascular disease results from complications of a silent and chronic arterial disease: atherosclerosis.
I- The Metabolism of Lipoproteins.- 1.1- Historical Landmarks.- 1.2- Lipids are essential components for living cells.- 1.3- Lipoproteins: soluble carriers of lipids in extracellular spaces.- 1.4- The Metabolism of Lipoproteins.- 1.5- Lipids and Atherosclerosis: The Causal Link.- 1.6- Heterogeneity of Dyslipidemia.- II- Genes of Lipoprotein Metabolism.- 2.1- Genes of the endogenous pathway.- 2.2- Genes controlling Triglyceride-rich lipoprotein metabolism.- 2.3- Genes of the Reverse Pathway of lipoprotein metabolism.- 2.4- Other Regulatory Pathways of Lipoprotein Metabolism.- III- The Genetic Basis of Dyslipidemias.- 3.1- The Genetic Architecture of Lipoprotein Metabolism.- 3.2- The Candidate Gene Approach.- 3.3- Novel Genes, Novel Approaches.- Conclusion.- References.