Ails 1 Center for Cardiovascular and Respiratory Sciences, West Virginia University School of Medicine, 1

Ails 1 Center for Cardiovascular and Respiratory Sciences, West Virginia University School of Medicine, 1 Medical Center Drive, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA. 2 Division of Exercise Physiology, West Virginia University School of Medicine, 1 Medical Center Drive, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA. 3Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, West Virginia University School of Medicine, 1 Medical Center Drive, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA. Authors’ contributions PS conceived of the review, performed the literature search, compiled, designed, and drafted the manuscript. AG aided in the literature search and drafted the manuscript. MJ aided the literature search. RB conceived of the review, participated in the design, and execution. JF conceived of the review, participated in the design, and execution. All authors read and approved of the final manuscript. Competing interests The authors declare that they have no competing interests. Received: 21 May 2010 Accepted: 18 November 2010 Published: 18 November 2010 References 1. What Do My Cholesterol Levels Mean?. American Heart Association 2007, 6-22-2009. 2. Lloyd-Jones D, Adams R, Carnethon M, De SG, Ferguson TB, Flegal K, PubMed ID:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28212752 Ford E, Furie K, Go A, Greenlund K, et al: Heart disease and stroke statistics?009 update: a report from the American Heart Association Statistics Committee and Stroke Statistics Subcommittee. PNB-0408 biological activity Circulation 2009, 119:e21-181. 3. Segrest JP: The role of non-LDL:non-HDL particles in atherosclerosis. Curr Diab Rep 2002, 2:282-288. 4. Selvin E, Erlinger TP: Prevalence of and risk factors for peripheral arterial disease in the United States: results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999-2000. Circulation 2004, 110:738-743. 5. Hayakawa H, Raij L: Relationship between hypercholesterolaemia, endothelial dysfunction and hypertension. J Hypertens 1999, 17:611-619. 6. Choudhury RP, Fuster V, Fayad ZA: Molecular, cellular and functional imaging of atherothrombosis. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2004, 3:913-925. 7. Kang J, Albadawi H, Patel VI, Abbruzzese TA, Yoo JH, Austen WG Jr, Watkins MT: Apolipoprotein E-/- mice have delayed skeletal muscle healing after hind limb ischemia-reperfusion. J Vasc Surg 2008, 48:701-708. 8. Stapleton PA, Goodwill AG, James ME, D’Audiffret AC, Frisbee JC: Differential impact of familial hypercholesterolemia and combined hyperlipidemia on vascular wall and network remodeling in mice. Microcirculation 2010, 17:47-58. 9. Huijgen R, Vissers MN, Defesche JC, Lansberg PJ, Kastelein JJ, Hutten BA: Familial hypercholesterolemia: current treatment and advances in management. Expert Rev Cardiovasc Ther 2008, 6:567-581. 10. Boodhwani M, Nakai Y, Mieno S, Voisine P, Bianchi C, Araujo EG, Feng J, Michael K, Li J, Sellke FW: Hypercholesterolemia impairs the myocardial angiogenic response in a swine model of chronic ischemia: role of endostatin and oxidative stress. Ann Thorac Surg 2006, 81:634-641. 11. Drolet MC, Plante E, Battistini B, Couet J, Arsenault M: Early endothelial dysfunction in cholesterol-fed rabbits: a non-invasive in vivo ultrasound study. Cardiovasc Ultrasound 2004, 2:10. 12. Stapleton PA, Goodwill AG, James ME, Frisbee JC: Altered mechanisms of endothelium-dependent dilation in skeletal muscle arterioles with genetic hypercholesterolemia. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2007, 293:R1110-R1119. 13. Wolfle SE, de Wit C: Intact endothelium-dependent dilation and conducted responses in resistance vessels of hypercholesterolemic mice in vivo. J Vasc Re.