from American Heart Association, Circulation
Levels of high-density lipoproteins, the so-called good kind of cholesterol, are already the standard in predicting cardiovascular risk. But there may be another way that good cholesterol is good. Swedish researchers reported in the American Heart Association journal, Circulation, the first test of anti-inflammatory qualities of HDL, a measurement separate from just the quantity of HDL in our blood. The study notes that atherosclerosis, the buildup of plaque in the arteries, is increasingly recognized as a disease closely linked to inflammation, and researchers suggest adding the anti-inflammatory functions of HDL to risk scores may help people take steps to protect themselves against heart disease or to encourage development of new medications.