The seminal studies of Brown and Goldstein (Science 1986; 232: 34-47) coupled with the
findings of the Framingham study revolutionized our understanding of the metabolic basis
for vascular disease. These studies led to the widespread use of the coronary risk lipid
profile, which uses the total cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein (HDL) ratio (or low-density
lipoprotein [LDL]/HDL ratio) in predicting risk for vascular disease and as a tool for
therapeutic management of patients at risk for vascular disease. However, although these …