So-called “good” cholesterol – technically known as high-density lipoprotein or HDL cholesterol – is traditionally considered an important contributor to heart health, but simply having a lot of it in one’s body may not be enough, according to the most recent research from the New England Journal of Medicine.
More important, it seems, is the way HDL behaves in one’s bloodstream, the researchers found. There was a significant difference in the compound’s ability to prevent the buildup of cholesterol “plaques” in a person’s circulatory system, which can lead to high blood pressure and more critical medical problems.
The researchers labeled their measurement of HDL’s activity in removing excess cholesterol from the bloodstream and preventing plaques as “cholesterol efflux capacity” and discovered it was not dependent on the raw quantity of HDL in the bloodstream.
Problems with arterial walls caused by excess cholesterol is a serious matter. Prolonged spells of poor heart health can result in pricier health insurance and death, according to experts.
