A recent large government study found that raising levels of HDL "good" cholesterol using a drug did not reduce the risk of heart disease.
As The New York Times reported:
Patients taking the medicine along with Zocor had higher levels of H.D.L. and lower levels of triglycerides, a fat in the blood. Despite these seeming improvements, the patients fared no better and may have done slightly worse than those taking Zocor alone. That is why the entire theory behind trying to increase H.D.L. levels in patients with heart disease may need rethinking.
Why?
Many people, including most physicians, believe that HDL is "good cholesterol" and LDL is "bad cholesterol." Therefore, anything that raises HDL cholesterol is good.
It's not so simple. Not everything that raises HDL is good, and not everything that lowers it is bad.
Think of HDL like the garbage trucks of your body. Your body makes HDL to remove excessive cholesterol from your blood and tissues, a process known as "reverse cholesterol transport." HDL transports cholesterol back to your liver where it is metabolized and removed from your body.
