We have heard it for years that elevated levels of hdl are protective. This is because it was the good cholesterol. You can see my air quotes. It’s likely not true. A new study has shown that this is not the case. This is adding to the swell of data suggesting that higher levels of hdl are not always protective. Let’s not forget the finer points because they are important. What is happening in your life, how is it affecting your hdl and other factors? These are the things that make a difference.
This particular study, called “association between high density and lipoprotein, cholesterol levels, adverse cardiovascular outcomes, and high-risk populations”, was published in jama cardiology. These are just a few important facts about the study.
It is first in those who have already been diagnosed with heart disease. This does not apply to the primary prevention population. These were people at higher risk who had already been diagnosed with heart disease. Okay.
That’s the first. The second point is that they simply crunched data from the uk cardiovascular biobank data sets and the uk data bank data set. This was not a predetermined outcome. It was looking back at these cohorts, and crunching data. This weakens the outcome but does not invalidate it.
Next, they looked at the 80-milligrams/deciliter group and then compared them to the 40-60 milligrams/deciliter okay. You were not included in the 60-80 group. However, they did find a fairly significant impact on mortality rates in those with higher hdl levels. The hazard ratio of an increased risk of all-cause deaths was 1.
96 is very close to the 2.0 threshold, which is where observational studies really start to warrant our attention. Then cardiovascular death was at 1.7, so it’s also quite high.
It was interesting to note that it was more prominent in men than women. In men, it was 2.6, while in women it was 1.39.
These findings seem to be more applicable to men than to women. This is because we often see higher levels in women than in men. In a way, that’s a positive thing. However, it’s also common to find low hdls that are associated with risk. It’s well-known and widely accepted that low hdl is not desirable.
Here’s the interesting part. The idea that you don’t want low HDL became acceptable. We want high hdl. Maybe not, and maybe not even if it is, but there are genetic mutations that have been tested. We have to admit that we don’t know everything about the genetic mutations that can cause high hdl. However, the ones we do know of did not seem to be affected here and other studies confirm this.
Cardiovascular risk has not been reduced by drugs that increase hdl. I believe that the key to avoiding low hdl is to have it right. This is number one. However, it’s not necessarily the same thing as having high blood pressure. Here’s a caveat.
These people were who? What kind of lives did they lead? We can see the difference when we look at large swathes of the population. They are not necessarily the most healthy people. They tend to eat high-carb diets or high-fat hyper caloric diets. They are often overweight. This is what we see when we look at the general population. It is clear that having a naturally high hdl over 80 is not protective. However, it may have some adverse effects. One question is why it could have adverse health effects. Maybe it’s because of decreased function of the hdl if your hdl is so high. It might not work as well with its reverse, cholesterol or transport, but it is possible.
The interesting thing about this is, what if you are not like that? What if you have a healthy weight? What if you have no metabolic dysfunction? Is a higher blood alcohol level still associated with the same effect? We don’t know if that group was studied. However, i believe that it does make a difference. Your hdl elevation may be due to a variety of factors. There have been many studies that looked at hdl particle number, hdl function tests and I believe it makes a difference. The most important thing to me is why your hdl is elevated. Is it because you eat a low-carbohydrate diet that has naturally increased your hdl? Does that make it a different situation? The answer is not yet known. Although I am only speculating, i believe it is worth investigating and worth looking into. Also.
It is important to note the difference in gender between males, females, and high hdl. This is because it was women, as i have said, who were most affected by the elevated hdl. Maintain a healthy body composition. Eat low carb. At least you know that you should eat a healthy, high-protein diet.
These things will improve your metabolic health, your body composition, and most likely raise your hdl. You don’t have a low hdl. This is the key to reducing your cardiovascular risk. I hope you found this helpful. The hdl situation is interesting.
