A method of reducing cholesterol in a subject is provided. The method may be used to decrease serum cholesterol and/or arterial wall cholesterol. The method comprises administering a therapeutically effective amount of heat shock protein 27 (HSP27), or a co-factor, variant or analogue thereof. The method may be used to treat, prevent or reverse cardiovascular disease (including atherosclerosis); to decrease atherosclerotic lesion formation or rupture; to decrease apoptosis within a plaque; to decrease macrophage accumulation; and/or to reverse the accumulation of atherosclerotic plaque mass in a subject. Kits and pharmaceutical compositions comprising HSP27 for preventing or treating of cardiovascular disease, such as atherosclerosis, are also provided.