Aortic regurgitation was observed in the elderly (hypercholesterolemic and atherosclerotic) apoE-/- mouse but neither in the young (hypercholesterolemic) apoE-/- mouse nor in the elderly C57 control mouse (normocholesterolemic), indicating that this cardiac dysfunction is dependent on the concurrence of hypercholesterolemia and aging [61]. This evidence concerns the gene APOE and familial hypercholesterolemia.