US researchers say they have found a more accurate ‘good cholesterol’ measure to better identify heart attack and stroke risk, at least in in some populations.
Previous studies have found that those with higher HDL cholesterol levels tend to have lower rates of cardiovascular disease, but a new analysis points to the number of HDL particles as a more reliable predictor of heart attack and stroke.
The findings, published in Circulation, are based on data from 15,784 people who were followed for 8 to 12 years.
The data included two different measurements of HDL – HDL-C levels, the standard test, which quantifies total HDL cholesterol, and HDL-P levels, which show how many particles of HDL are circulating in the blood.
The researchers also found neither of the HDL measurements were linked with heart attack in black participates.
Source: Science Daily
