Dietary fats and their relationship to atherosclerosis.

The possibility remains that the kind, rather than the amount of fat in the diet is responsible for atherosclerosis. Much time has been spent in studying vegetarian versus nonvegetarian groups. No critical results have been made available. The reported effect of vegetable fats and their content of unsaturated essential fatty acids is also of extreme interest in this connection. One of the major problems under discussion is whether there has been a marked change in the American diet during the past generations the period in which the incidence of coronary heart disease and atherosclerosis is said to have increased. Many of the conclusions that have been reached are subject to very basic criticism. It is very important that physicians realize that the urgency of the situation does not permit the disruption of a sound and orderly attack on the problem by undue emotionalism and competitiveness among the investigators. Altering the dietary habits of a large population group is fraught with a great many dangers. Our knowledge of nutrition is not sufficient at this time to anticipate what ultimate results would happen if the public were encouraged to alter radically their basic dietary patterns. It is indeed to be hoped that current experimental work in laboratories all over the world will make it possible to provide further information on these very important problems. It will be a long time before this area is completely clarified, but as data are published they should place some limits on the areas of speculation. The physician must continue to try to view and review this subject as objectively as possible. HERBERT POLLACK