Atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is a complex chronic disease characterized by the accumulation of lipids within arterial walls that eventually go on to form plaques, which can cause narrowing, hardening, and/or complete blockage of arteries. One well known risk factor in humans is hypercholesterolemia (i.e. elevated total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C)), and other important contributors to this disease include inflammation, oxidative stress, and insulin resistance. Foods high in dietary saturated fat (SF) and cholesterol (i.e. “Western-type diets”) have been linked to elevations in circulating cholesterol levels (in particular, LDL-C), prompting the recommendation that humans limit the intake of these dietary constituents. Like humans, Western-type diets can induce elevated LDL-C and atherosclerosis in certain rodent models (i.e. mice, hamsters, guinea pigs). Therefore, the use of such diets for promoting atherosclerosis in these models has been a valuable tool for both gaining more understanding of this disease and testing therapies that can potentially reverse it. Consult with one of our scientists on a custom formula for your study.

*For those requiring a matched control diet, be sure to use a purified ingredient matched diet rather than a grain-based diet.

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