An August 2022 study by the Knight Cardiovascular Institute at Oregon Health & Science University, Portland said,
“The goal was to understand this long-established link that labels HDL as the beneficial cholesterol, and if that’s true for all ethnicities,”
“It’s been well accepted that low HDL cholesterol levels are detrimental, regardless of race. Our research tested those assumptions.”
“What I hope this type of research establishes is the need to revisit the risk-predicting algorithm for cardiovascular disease,”
“It could mean that in the future we don’t get a pat on the back by our doctors for having higher HDL cholesterol levels.”
“When it comes to risk factors for heart disease, they cannot be limited to one race or ethnicity …They need to apply to everyone.”
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)’s Division of Cardiovascular Sciences said,
“HDL cholesterol has long been an enigmatic risk factor for cardiovascular disease,”
“The findings suggest that a deeper dive into the epidemiology of lipid metabolism is warranted, especially in terms of how race may modify or mediate these relationships.”