My good cholesterol is apparently quite low, but my total cholesterol is very low. The ratio is satisfactory-- so how important is it to find ways to improve my “good cholesterol” number?
Supposedly a new class of drugs that can increase HDL will be hitting the market in a few years. Problem is I don’t think raising HDL really did much in the studies to reduce the risk of heart attack.
I wonder to what role cholesterol is an independent risk factor vs. a symptom of a different risk factor. Statins are not nearly as effective as people think at reducing heart disease risk, neither are drugs that increase HDL. Niacin improves HDL, LDL and triglyceride levels but I think that is largely ineffective at actually stopping deaths and/or attacks. All these drugs and supplements that improve triglycerides and cholesterol levels don’t seem too effective to me.
It’s the size of the LDL particles that are the most important factor - this is very recent research.
Smaller particles are more dangerous because, IIRC, they can more easily infiltrate the endothelium of the arteries (lining where plaque forms).