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The so-called good cholesterol may not always be a good thing. A new study reveals that at least in middle-aged women, a high reading of HDL may not protect them from heart disease.
The cholesterol readings that people get from the doctor are usually divided into three types: low-density lipoproteins. LDL, the "bad" cholesterol; triglycerides, the less there is, the better; and high density lipoproteins, or HDL.
HDL is usually called "good" cholesterol because higher levels usually mean lower risk of heart disease.
But not for middle-aged women, Dr. Samar el Khoudary at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health and his colleagues report in a study published Thursday in the journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and vascular biology.
Especially at the time of menopause, they found, a high overall level of HDL can mask one of the most important message here is that the measurement of total cholesterol might not be sufficient in postmenopausal women, "El said Khoudary at NBC News
"High HDL cholesterol levels in postmenopausal women may mask a significant risk of heart disease that we still need to understand. "
And they discovered why.This is the type of HDL that seems to be important," they reported.
HDL and LDL are the two particles in the blood that carry fats. , LDL helps to deposit these fats in the walls of blood vessels, causing the accumulation of plaques and blockages, while HDL wins.
The team 39 El Khoudary has studied more than 1,100 women over the age of 45 who are participating in a larger health study and had previously found that HDL did not seem to protect women from heart disease after menopause.
Khoudary's study demolished it, and the researchers found that HDL particle size was what mattered.
were close to menopause, the larger particles were badociated with greater risk high atherosclerosis, "said E Khudary.
Women who had more small HDL particles had a lower risk of developing the first signs of heart disease. thickening of the arterial walls.
"Our results imply that the measurement of total cholesterol may not be sufficient, and we need to take a closer look at these particles," she said
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