lipid lowering drugs Flashcards
what is the central core of lipoproteins made up of?
triglycerides (cholesterol esters)
what is the outer hydrophilic coat of lipoproteins made up of?
phospholipids
free cholesterol
unique apoproteins/apolipoproteins
what is the ‘good’ lipoproteins?
HDL
what is the ‘bad’ lipoproteins?
LDL
how is cholesterol taken up from the diet?
cholesterol is produced when fats are broken down along with fatty acids and glycerol. Taken up by CHYLOMICRONS
what is the contents of chylomicrons like?
they have a higher content of triglycerides than esterified cholesterol
how are fatty acids released from chylomicrons?
by the enzyme lipoprotein lipase
what type of tissue takes up free fatty acids?
muscle tissue and adipose tissue
what happens to the CHYLOMICRON REMNANTS (chylomicrons without fatty acids in them)
they are taken up by the liver by ENDOCYTOSIS
what happens to the cholesterol once it reaches the liver?
it can be stored, oxidised to bile acids or releases as VLDL for transportation of fatty acids to other tissues
what does HDL do?
absorbs cholesterol from cell breakdown and transfers it to VLDL and LDL
what diseases are associated with an increase in plasma cholesterol associated with high LDL?
atheromatous disease - may lead to atherosclerosis, ischaemic heart disease, myocardial infarction and cerebral vascular accidents
how is the level of total cholesterol calculated?
total lipoproteins - HDL
what is the IDEAL level of cholesterol?
less tha 5mmol/l
what is a mildly high level of cholesterol?
5 to 6.4mmol/l