Private MD News

Good cholesterol may be bad news for some

Category: Heart Health and Cholesterol

The importance of HDL, or good cholesterol, has become widely known in recent years and many individuals are aware of their levels. However, the importance of cholesterol testing that shows both good and bad cholesterol levels may be even more important than ever.

A new study from the American Heart Association has shown that too much good cholesterol may increase the risk of heart disease for certain individuals.

The study followed a clinical trial by Pfizer in which many test subjects experienced heart complications after their good cholesterol was improved. The study confirmed that trial's results, showing that elevated HDL cholesterol levels can increase the risk of chest pain, heart attack and death in a small group of individuals.

"It seems counterintuitive that increasing good cholesterol, which we've always thought of as protective, leads to negative consequences in some people," said James Corsetti, lead investigator on the study. "We've confirmed that high HDL cholesterol is in fact associated with risk in a certain group of patients."

The American Heart Association says that heart disease is the leading cause of death in U.S.