According to Dr. Steven Nissen, MD, Chairman of Cardiovascular Medicine at Cleveland Clinic the ability of HDL to remove cholesterol from the wall of arteries may be more important than the amount of HDL. It was previously understood that the amount of HDL plays the critical role in the development of cardiovascular disease. However, Dr Nissen also highlighted that this study was also presented at the American Heart Association 2014 Scientific Session showing that the ability of HDL to remove cholesterol from the arteries wall may be more important than the amount of HDL in the patient’s blood.

What are the implications of these results?

This research could shed some light why drugs used to boost HDL level doesn’t reduce the risk of heart attacks. The research also answers questions why drugs used to lower LDL and triglycerides thereby boosting/ increasing the amount HDL levels fails to reduce cardiovascular risk. Such drugs include fibrates such as gemfibrozil (Lopid), prescription niacin and statins such as simvastatin (Zocor) and rosucastatin (Crestor).

Background on LDL, HDL and triglycerides and its relationship with your health…

1. Triglycerides are basically fat found in your blood that your body uses for heat generation and energy. Clinically, high levels of triglycerides with low HDL or high LDL can increase your risk of heart attack, stroke or several other cardiovascular disease.
2. LDL are basically a type of cholesterol making up the majority of the body’s cholesterol. It is often known as ‘bad’ cholesterol because high levels are associated with plaque formation in artery walls leading to heart attack, stroke or several other cardiovascular disease.
3. HDL are another type of cholesterol that functions to absorb cholesterol and carries it back (efflux) to liver where it is process and excreted through varying mechanism. HDL is known as 'good' cholesterol because high levels are associated with reduce risk of heart attack, stroke or other cardiovascular disease.

Further points highlighted in the research?

Researchers measured the HDL levels, particle concentrate and cholesterol-efflux in 2,924 adults without cardiovascular disease an found that while age, gender and body mass index (BMI) affect HDL levels, they did not correlate with HDL functionality. Research also showed that gender did not influence efflux capacity and efflux did not appear to be associated with BMI, insulin resistance, lipid levels or body composition. Research highlighted that participants with highest cholesterol-efflux had a 67% lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease showing the importance of HDL functionality

What can you do in light of these research?

Know your cholesterol levels together with other factors that would influence your health such as gender, age, race/ ethnicity, smoking status and blood pressure. Research continues to show the importance of diet and exercise, I strongly believe that exercise improves your overall wellbeing from mental, social, physical and thus influence functionality of keys components of your body physiology through endorphins, neurotransmitters, etc.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cardiovascular diseases are the number 1 cause of death globally. An estimated 17.7 million people died from cardiovascular disease in 2015 representing 31% of all global deaths. By simply knowing your cholesterol levels and making the necessary adjustment you can significantly reduce your risk.

Sources

https://www.cdc.gov/cholesterol/ldl_hdl.htm
https://consultqd.clevelandclinic.org
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs317/en/
http://www.bmj.com/content/349/bmj.g4379/rr/763816

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