Low levels of HDL (the “good” cholesterol) appear connected to many health risks, not just heart disease

This study found that lower HDL cholesterol levels were associated with a higher risk of death from cardiovascular causes, as prior studies have shown. However, there was also a higher risk of death from cancer and other causes compared with those having average levels of HDL cholesterol. That finding makes it seem as though low HDL cholesterol isn’t just predicting cardiovascular death — which might make sense if it is really causing heart disease — but it is also predicting cancer deaths and other causes of death. And there is not a good biological explanation for why a low HDL cholesterol level should do that. The conclusion the authors reach is that low HDL cholesterol isn’t really causing any of these problems such as heart disease or cancer, but rather the underlying cause of the low HDL cholesterol, such as an unhealthy lifestyle, is the real driver of worse outcomes. What does all this mean practically? Well, first of all, more research on the relationship between low HDL cholesterol and heart disease is still needed. There are some large clinical trials of HDL cholesterol raising drugs that are ongoing, so these studies may provide even greater insight into whether raising low HDL cholesterol protects cardiovascular health. In the meantime, it probably means that it is unlikely to be useful to take medications solely for the purpose of raising low HDL cholesterol levels. And if you have a low HDL cholesterol level, this study reinforces that exercise and a he...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Health Heart Health Prevention Tests and procedures Source Type: blogs