Atherosclerosis
Excessive levels of oxidized LDL in the blood can lead to potential health risks. Atherosclerosis is a buildup of lipid-rich plaques in the arteries. Blood clots can form on these lipid-rich plaques, or part of the plaque may suddenly break loose, blocking a coronary or cerebral artery.
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Occlusion of a coronary artery can cause a myocardial infarct (heart attack), and occlusion of a cerebral artery can cause a stroke.
The damage of the tissues occurs due to the insufficient supply or lack of oxygen and inability to produce ATP through the oxidative phosphorylation. Because the brain, the heart and the kidney are organs that are the most dependent on oxidative phosphorylation for ATP generation, lack of oxygen and ATP lead to cell death and tissue damage that can affect smaller or larger portions of the heart and the brain.
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Drugs have been discovered that can reduce cholesterol biosynthesis (statins), reduce the intestinal absorption of dietary cholesterol and other lipids (ezetimibe), or enhance the metabolic utilization of lipids in the liver (fibrates). These drugs serve to keep the blood levels of LDL in check to avoid the deleterious effects that can arise from the accumulation of vascular plaque, including such serious medical conditions as atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease, and stroke.
