How is skin cholesterol a marker for CAD?
As early as 1970, French pathologist Bouissou reported that the skin and the aortic wall undergo very similar changes in the process of aging and atherogenesis.3 One of the first studies involving skin cholesterol examined the relationship between skin cholesterol, aortic cholesterol and the extent of atherosclerosis in the aorta based on autopsy findings. This study confirmed the well-known fact that atherosclerotic changes in the aorta progress with age. However, more importantly, the study also indicated that the changes observed in the aorta were paralleled by changes in cholesterol (sterol) accumulation in the skin. In another set of patients, statistical analysis was performed to determine whether there was a correlation between cholesterol accumulation in the skin and atherosclerosis. This analysis demonstrated that the relationship between skin cholesterol, aortic cholesterol and the extent of atherosclerosis in the aorta is closely interrelated and non-linear. Thus, the study
