Lower your cholesterol early, and stick with it!

Consumption of a high-fat diet leads to the progressive growth of atherosclerotic lesions. Two new studies document that, despite similar overall exposure to high-fat diet over a lifetime, an intermittent consumption of high-fat diet early in life accelerates atherosclerosis compared with continuous consumption of a high-fat diet. The mechanisms for accelerated atherosclerosis include reprogramming of macrophages and neutrophils.