There liver transplantation has been tried. A severely ill 6 year old girl, who already had suffered several heart attacks, was given a new liver and heart simultaneously. More than six months after the operation her blood cholesterol levels were in the range of 3 g per liter compared to 12 g per liter before the liver transplantation. The discoveries made by Brown and Goldstein have drastically widened our understanding of the cholesterol metabolism and increased our possibilities to prevent and treat atherosclerosis and heart attacks. But their discoveries have even more far-reaching implications.
Coronary infarction is a major cause of death in most industrialized countries.
The disease is caused by hereditary and environmental factors, which together cause a reduction of the number of LDL-receptors. This increases the blood levels of LDL and thereby the risk for atherosclerosis. Brown and Goldstein's revolutionary results have widened our horizon and holds promise for future fascinating developments. Det goda och det onda serumkolesterolet.