The NCEP is a major public education program providing advice to physicians and the public on management and prevention of coronary heart disease. However, data supporting the advice are derived primarily from middle-aged men, with less data available for women and older individuals. Furthermore, there have been recent reports that when low saturated fat diets such as the NCEP Step One and NCEP Step Two diets, are followed, HDL-cholesterol is lowered as well as LDL-cholesterol.