The not-so-simple HDL story: A new era for quantifying HDL and cardiovascular risk?

摘要

High levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) promote atherosclerosis by delivering cholesterol in an unregulated manner to artery-wall macrophages, a key step in atherosclerotic vascular disease. In contrast, clinical and epi-demiological studies show a robust, inverse association of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels with cardiovascular disease risk. HDL's cardioprotective effects are mediated in part by its ability to remove cholesterol from macrophages. Mice with genetically engineered deficiencies in proteins involved in HDL metabolism provide compelling evidence that HDL is a key modulator of atherosclerosis in hypercholesterolemic models. These observations have triggered intense interest in targeting HDL for therapeutic intervention.