Simply raising levels of good cholesterol won’t help you prevent heart diseases

It is commonly believed that high-density lipoprotein (HDL) is great for the heart and that its levels should be high. However, new research has a different story to tell. Studies are being conducted to identify various therapies that increase levels of HDL, which is regarded as “good cholesterol.”

One of the therapeutic strategies for raising the levels of HDL is to block the activity of cholesterol ester transfer protein (CETP).

According to a new study, published in the journal JAMA Cardiology, blocking CEPT does not help much in raising the levels of good cholesterol.

The research studied more than 150,000 adults in China. This research was led by a team of scientists from the University of Oxford in U.K.

The work of CETP is to transfer good cholesterol to some lipoproteins in exchange for triglycerides. The author of the study said that certain genetic variations have the same effect on CETP protein as drug would have.

The team studied CETP altering genetic variants to measure the potential benefits and risks of using CETP blocking treatment. The study was conducted over a duration of 10 years. By the end, nearly 6000 individuals had developed coronary heart disease and 20,000 suffered a stroke.

The research established that raising the levels of HDL or good cholesterol by blocking the activity of CETP without lowering the level of bad cholesterol does not do much good or give any major benefit to decrease the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Source: medicalnewstoday.com