[Recommendations for the control of cholesterolemia in Spain]. / Recomendaciones para el control de la colesterolemia en España.

A number of recommendations are provided regarding the detection, assessment and management in primary and secondary prevention, approaching hypercholesterolaemia from a multifactorial standpoint based on cardiovascular risk. Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in Spain. The major risks involved are coronary heart disease and cerebrovascular disease. The demographic, health-related and social impact thereof will be increasing over the coming decades. Controlling hypercholesterolaemia, in conjunction with eradicating the smoking habit and controlling hypertension, diabetes, obesity and physical inactivity comprise one of the main strategies for preventing cardiovascular diseases. Breaking down the risk of individuals based on the major cardiovascular risk factors is essential, given that these factors condition the frequency with which these individuals must be monitored and the type and degree of treatment entailed. Based on this breakdown, the priorities have been set for taking steps to prevent cardiovascular disease. In primary prevention, the therapeutic objective in high-risk persons (20% risk or higher or those persons involving two or more risk factors) has been established as LDL-cholesterol < 130 mg/dl. In secondary prevention, drug treatment is indicated when LDL-cholesterol (130 mg/dl and the therapeutic objective is LDL-cholesterol < 100 mg/dl. Those patients having coronary heart disease must be included in secondary prevention programs that will ensure good, constant clinical and risk factor-related control.

[Changes in lipid profile of young persons after substitution of sunflower oil by olive oil in the diet]. / Cambios en el perfil lipídico de individuos jóvenes tras la sustitución del aceite de girasol de su dieta por aceite de oliva.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: There is controversy in determining the effects of olive oil in the lipidic metabolism. We studied the changes produced in the lipid profile after substituting sunflower dietetic oil with virgin olive oil. POPULATION AND METHODS: We studied 154 cadets of Academia General Militar de Zaragoza (AGEMZA), analyzing their smoking habits, anthropometric measures and dietetic intake. Hematologic, biochemical and lipidic parameters were determined in venous blood samples. All sunflower dietetic oil was substituted with olive oil, without making any other qualitative-quantitative variation in the diet 10 weeks after which the morphometric and analytical evaluation was repeated, comparing both measurements. RESULTS: 87% of cadets took part in the study. 34.3% of them were smokers. There were no significant anthropometric changes. After the interventional period, there was a decrease of 12.2% in total cholesterol (166.6 vs 146.2 mg/dl; p < 0.0001), 13.5% in LDL-cholesterol (99.7 vs 86.2 mg/dl; p < 0.0001), 12.2% in triglycerides (71.1 vs 62.4 mg/dl; p < 0.0001), 9.9% in HDL-cholesterol (52.6 vs 47.4 mg/dl; p < 0.001), despite which total-cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol ratio increased 3.1% (3.2 +/- 0.7 vs 3.1 +/- 0.7; p < 0.001). There were no changes in Lp(a) plasmatic concentrations or hematologic or biochemical parameters. CONCLUSION: The improvement of the lipidic parameters can only be explained by the use of olive oil in the diet of the AGEMZA cadets.