Dr D.S. Fredrickson: Founding father of the field of lipidology

Dr D.S. Fredrickson is considered by many to be the founding father of lipidology. An exceptional scientist, Fredrickson discovered Tangier disease and cholesteryl ester storage disease, two genetic conditions caused by aberrant lipid metabolism. His identification of various apolipoprotein components contributed to our current understanding of lipid transport and physiology. His classification of lipoprotein ab normalities, established on the basis of electrophoretic plasma lipoprotein patterns, was accepted by the World Health Organization as a standard of clinical practice and provoked global interest in dyslipidemic disorders. Fredrickson was part of a remarkable trio of scientists who devised the formula for estimating low density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, a calculation that continues to be used in laboratories worldwide. He was also instrumental in the creation of the Lipid Research Clinics Program, which sponsored the landmark Coronary Primary Prevention Trial, the first major study to definitively demonstrate that lowering cholesterol reduces coronary heart disease risk.