Cardioprotective Effects of High-Density Lipoproteins

The fact that a low level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol is highly predictive of future cardiovascular events has been established in population studies beyond all reasonable doubt. Furthermore, the evidence is overwhelming that the relationship is one of cause and effect rather than an epiphenomenon, with numerous studies in animals demonstrating that HDL-raising interventions translate into profound reductions in atherosclerosis. Such interventions have included the infusion of both native and reconstituted HDLs into rabbit models of atherosclerosis, the overexpression of apolipoprotein (apo) A-I (the major HDL protein) in transgenic mice and rabbits, and the inhibition of cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) in rabbits.