Patrick Couture,MD, FRCP(C), PhD, Lipid Research Center, Laval University Medical Center, Laval,QC.
Nancy Gilbert, RN, Lipid Research Center, Laval University Medical Center, Laval,QC.

Several lines of evidence suggest that triglyceride-rich lipoproteins contribute significantly to the development of atherosclerosis. However, the relationship between cardiovascular disease and plasma levels of triglyceride remains complex due to the presence of two major confounders: (1) the inverse relationship between plasma triglyceride levels and highdensity lipoprotein-cholesterol and (2) the heterogeneity in triglyceriderich lipoprotein size, number, and composition between individuals. Plasma apo-B measurement is recommended for patients with high triglyceride levels to identify their risk category.The goals of lipidmodifying therapy for these patients are to reduce the atherogenic lipoprotein number and to increase HDL particle number.
Keywords: triglyceride, lipoprotein, atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, cholesterol.

Gustavo A. Cardenas, MD, Carl J. Lavie, MD and Richard V. Milani, MD, Department of Cardiology, Ochsner Medical Institutions, New Orleans, LA, USA.

There is growing evidence that risk factors, which predict cardiovascular disease in younger people, are also predictive in older adults. Given the huge burden of cardiovascular disease in this latter population, older adults should not be excluded from primary or secondary prevention strategies, such as management of dyslipidemia. Low levels of high- density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) have a stronger association with cardiovascular disease than do high levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). This article focuses on the importance of HDL-C as a risk factor for older patients, the evidence that exists supporting this association, the factors associated with low levels of HDL-C, and the mechanisms by which low HDL-C is related to an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Key words: high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, aging, older adults, dyslipidemia, lipoprotein, atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease.