Good cholesterol may not cure all!!!

A recent computer analysis of 20 studies done in the UK that was published in the medical journal The  Lancet showed that genetically high HDL or “good” cholesterol gives you the same risk of heart attack as having a normal level.  Understandably, more research needs to be done to prove this, but it is an interesting find and it may be a good thing.

 What you ask? How can this be a good thing?  Before going into this, let’s review what cholesterol is and what it does. 

Cholesterol is a lipid just like fat, fatty acids, and triglycerides.  Because lipids are hydrophobic they must bind to proteins to be carried throughout the body.  Cholesterol is carried by lipoproteins.  There are many, but the main concern is with low density and high density lipoproteins or LDL (bad) and HDL (good).  LDL carries cholesterol to the periphery while HDL carries it away from the periphery to the liver.  The cholesterol that is delivered to the periphery can be deposited in the arteries causing atherosclerosis.  This is why HDL is thought to be good, but with this new finding it may lead to us finding out that it’s not so great.    

Why is this a good thing?  Because we realize that a lot of medication could possibly be pointless.  I’m not saying to stop taking your medication.  Pharmaceutical companies have been searching for drugs to help raise HDL levels for a while now.  This could eliminate the need create a drug that might not work and could cost patients lots of money.  High HDL levels have been found in people who live a healthy lifestyle.  It may be other things that are protecting healthy people from atherosclerosis.  Exercise itself lowers triglycerides, postprandial lipemia, and increases lipoprotein enzyme activity affecting the way your body handles cholesterol. 

But it also increases insulin sensitivity, lowers blood pressure, helps prevent colon and breast cancer, eases arthritic pain, slows osteoporosis, prevents Alzheimer’s disease, relieves stress and anxiety, and the list goes on and on.  How many drugs would it take to relieve the symptoms (not the cause) of these conditions?  Maybe the public will consider living healthier lifestyle rather than just taking a pill for everything.