Preface to the proceedings of the Satellite Symposium of the EAS 76th Congress and the XVth Paavo Nurmi Symposium
The Paavo Nurmi Foundation has organized international scientific symposia every two or three years in Finland. The symposia are typically devoted to recent trends in human cardiovascular diseases. This year the XVth Paavo Nurmi Symposium was organized in conjunction with the Satellite Symposium ‘High‐Density Lipoproteins and Atherosclerosis’, of the 76th European Atherosclerosis Society (EAS) Congress. The Symposium was held at the Biomedicum Research Centre, University of Helsinki, on June 7–9, 2007. The main objective of the meeting was to characterize the molecular mechanisms by which high‐density lipoproteins (HDL) are protective against the development of atherosclerosis.
Major attention was focused on the structure and functions of HDL and the mechanisms by which they exert their atheroprotective effects. Finally, clinical aspects relating to HDL, such as pharmacologic modulation of HDL subclass distribution and treatment of low HDL, were discussed. Some of these presentations are recapitulated in the present Special Issue of Annals of Medicine. The Organizing Committee of the Satellite Symposium wishes to thank all the speakers, poster presenters, and participants for making the meeting a success. Furthermore, we are highly grateful to those who have produced the outstanding contributions to this Issue.
We sincerely believe that the Symposium has broadened our understanding of the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. Finally, we want to express our gratitude to the Paavo Nurmi Foundation for the generous financial support.