Dietary Treatment for Hyperlipidaemia	

A diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol (both of which suppress LDL-receptor activity), will reduce elevated cholesterol levels substantially in most cases. Reductions of ten to twenty per cent can be achieved by long-standing compliance with this type of diet, although the response will, to some extent, be determined by patients' baseline diet and their degree of compliance. Compliance can be markedly enhanced if patients are offered counselling by a qualified dietician or nutritionist who should try to make the diet as appetising as possible and tailor it to the taste of individual patients. Lack of adequate compliance is the most common cause of failure of diet therapy.