GHASSAN F. SHATTAT.pmd

Hyperlipidemia is a medical condition characterized by an increase in one or more of the plasma lipids, including triglycerides, cholesterol, cholesterol esters, phospholipids and or plasma lipoproteins including very low-density lipoprotein and low-density lipoprotein along with reduced high-density lipoprotein levels. This elevation of plasma lipids is among the leading risk factors associated with cardiovascular diseases. In the meantime, statins and fibrates remain the major anti-hyperlipidemic agents for the treatment of elevated plasma cholesterol and triglycerides respectively, with the price of severe side effects on the muscles and the liver. The present review focuses mainly on the types of hyperlipidemias, lipid metabolism, treatments and new drug targets for the treatment of elevated lipid profile. Many agents such as lanosterol synthase inhibitors, squalene epoxidase inhibitors, diacyl glycerol acyl transferase inhibitors, ATP citrate lyase inhibitors have shown a promising potential in the treatment of hyperlipidemia in clinical trials.