Rational use of the funds, regulating cholesterol, lipoproteins, triglycerides, and phospholipids, may exert preventive and therapeutic effects in diseases of the cardiovascular system.

Carriers of cholesterol, phospholipids and triglycerides in the blood are lipoproteins, which, depending on their physico-chemical properties and physiological roles are divided into the following classes:

a) the low density lipoprotein (LDL), transporting, as a rule, cholesterol (cholesterol esters);

b) lipoproteins very low density (VLDL), carrying mostly endogenous triglycerides;

C) high density lipoproteins (HDL) that transports primarily cholesterol, and phospholipids.

Different lipoproteins have different roles in the development of atherosclerosis. VLDL transporterowych endogenous triglycerides and cholesterol, LDL transfer cholesterol to blood vessel walls that may contribute to atherosclerosis development or the deepening of the process already underway. HDL, by contrast, mobilize cholesterol from tissues, including the walls of blood vessels.

In this regard, the effect of lipid-lowering drugs should be aimed not so much at reducing total cholesterol in blood as the reduction of the elevated levels of LDL, VLDL and increase HDL.

Synthesis of lipoproteins and cholesterol metabolism are complex biological processes and to influence them in varying degrees, can the regulators of the exchange belonging to different pharmacological groups, including lipotropics, hormones, unsaturated fatty acids (Linetol, LIPOSTABIL), pyricarbate (Parmidin), etc.

Fixed assets that have a hypolipidemic action, includes substances that bind bile acids — bile acid resins — (cholestyramine, etc.), nicotinic acid and its derivatives, statins (lovastatin, simvastin, etc.), fibrates — fibroevoy acid derivatives (gemfibrozil, ciprofibrate, etc.).

As a rule, lipid-lowering means are used in the treatment of diseases (especially cardiovascular system), accompanied or caused by dysfunctions of lipid metabolism.