Study casts doubt on benefits of ‘good’ cholesterol

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The study suggests higher levels of HDL do not reduce the risk of heart disease.

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In their report, the Daily Mail stated, “researchers found that high levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) were not associated with a lower risk of developing heart disease.”

And, “HDL absorbs cholesterol in the arteries and ferries it back to the liver, which then flushes it from the body. For this reason it had been dubbed ‘good’ cholesterol.”

The “bad” cholesterol that damages blood vessels walls and causes plaque is LDL cholesterol, the basis of a very large industry in statin drugs.

The study analyzed data taken over a decade from 24,000 Americans who participated in the federal Reasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke survey (between 2003 and 2007).

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The main goal was determining whether HDL really is a beneficial cholesterol — and if it’s beneficial for all ethnicities.

The study found that low levels of “good” cholesterol predicted more risk for heart attack in white adults, but not in black.

And high “good” cholesterol did not seem to reduce heart disease risk in either white or black participants.

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High levels of LDL or “bad” cholesterol in adults did indicate a small increased risk for cardiovascular disease — as per many previous studies.

Senior author of the study, Dr. Nathalie Pamir, an associate professor of medicine at Oregon Health and Science University, said she hopes the research indicates a need to revisit the risk-predicting algorithm for cardiovascular disease.

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“It could mean that in the future we don’t get a pat on the back by our doctors for having higher HDL cholesterol levels.”

The work done by the Oregon team adds to a growing body of evidence that too much “good” cholesterol is not necessarily helpful — and may actually be bad for health.

Other studies have shown the benefit of modest amounts of HDL —  as both high and low levels had increased heart attack risks.

High levels of HDL are also believed to hasten plaque accumulation and atherosclerosis.

Cholesterol levels are sometimes genetic; diet and lifestyle changes can help control some cholesterol issues.