CLEVELAND (11/15/04)- Not all HDL (high density lipoprotein),
often referred to as "good cholesterol", protects against plaque
build-up in artery walls. That's because in some people HDL is
dysfunctional, or and unable to do its job properly, according
to researchers from the Cleveland Clinic. The fact that
sometimes HDL doesn't do its job helps explain why some people
who have high HDL levels still get heart attacks and suffer
other cardiovascular disease, said Stanley Hazen, MD, PhD, head
of preventive cardiology and rehabilitation at the Cleveland
Clinic. a bit of a misconception, even among physicians, that
having a high HDL completely counteracts having an elevated LDL
(low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol level, he said. LDL is
often referred to as "bad" cholesterol. While this seems to put
a damper on having faith in what cholesterol tests tell you
about risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD), all is not lost.
For one, dysfunctional HDL is not that common, plus population
studies show that people with h