Lipids and Vascular Disease: A Framingham Perspective

Research related to lipid levels, correlates of lipid levels, and how lipid levels are related to vascular disease outcomes in the Framingham cohorts are summarized for data obtained from 1948 to the present day. Initial lipid data in Framingham participants were largely confined to cholesterol and triglycerides. Technology evolved to later include lipoprotein cholesterol quantification using ultracentrifugation, apolipoproteins, genetics, lipid particle size and number, and use of lipid information in multivariable equations to estimate risk for the development of initial cardiovascular disease outcomes. The information is presented chronologically to highlight the developments related to the lipids and heart disease over the past 50 years.