Paris, Dec 24: Diabetes lowers the vessel- and heart-protective benefits of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), also known as good cholesterol, a new study finds.
Previous studies had reported that HDL lowers the blood levels of bad cholesterol (LDL), reducing the risk of the hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis) and subsequently heart diseases.
Good cholesterol also promotes the healing and repairing process in the cells lining the vessels.
According to a study published in Circulation, HDL cholesterol in diabetics has impaired protective functions on blood vessels and heart.
“We have to understand that we can’t look only at the HDL levels in the plasma, but we need to look at the quality,” said lead researcher Ulf Landmesser, adding that the quality of good cholesterol differs in different patients.
Taking extended-release niacin (1500 milligrams/day), a medication that raises HDL cholesterol while reducing other blood fats, was reported to be effective not only in increasing HDL levels but also in improving its protective functions in these patients.
–Agencies