Treatment With Dalcetrapib Modifies the Relationship Between High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol and C-Reactive Protein

Epidemiological data associate higher concentrations of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) with lower cardiovascular risk. HDL-C isolated from healthy subjects exhibits potentially protective properties, including anti-inflammatory effects(1). However, some evidence suggests that cholesterol-overloaded HDL-C particles may lose protective properties(2), and drugs that raise HDL-C and particle size have thus far not reduced cardiovascular events in patients with established heart disease. Among these agents are inhibitors of cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP). These findings raise the question whether HDL-C formed under treatment with a CETP inhibitor loses some of its usual protective properties.
Source: Journal of the American College of Cardiology - Category: Cardiology Source Type: research