Research published in The American Journal of Cardiology has confirmed that increasing ‘good cholesterol’ in patients with diabetes can be extremely helpful in preventing cardiovascular disease.
Low density lipoproteins or ‘bad cholesterol’ is said to significantly increase the risk of heart problems in patients with diabetes, more so than patients without it, but the link between HDL (high density lipoproteins) or ‘good cholesterol’ and heart health is still a relatively unexplored. However, lead author of the study, Gregory Nichols PhD believes that this is further proof of that HDL has a role to play in decreasing a patients risk of stroke or heart attack.
The study was done on a large scale by Kaiser Permanente and evaluated the medical records of 30000 patients, all with diabetes and all with an HDL measurements taken between six and 24 months apart. The patients were observed over the course of 8 years and those that showed an increase in HDL levels had an 8% lower heart attack rate than those whose HDL level remained unchanged. Those who showed in increase in LDL levels had 11% more heart attacks.
Although further research is required into the benefits of increasing HDL to those with an elevated cardiovascular disease risk, experts say that increasing HDL levels can help reduce ‘bad cholesterol’ levels in the body, as they carry it away from internal organs to the liver to be expelled. It’s believed that exercise and maintaining a healthy weight can increase HDL levels in the body, which is why doctors often recommend that people with high levels of bad cholesterol are active even if they are using a treatment.
Low density lipoproteins or ‘bad cholesterol’ is said to significantly increase the risk of heart problems in patients with diabetes, more so than patients without it, but the link between HDL (high density lipoproteins) or ‘good cholesterol’ and heart health is still a relatively unexplored. However, lead author of the study, Gregory Nichols PhD believes that this is further proof of that HDL has a role to play in decreasing a patients risk of stroke or heart attack.
The study was done on a large scale by Kaiser Permanente and evaluated the medical records of 30000 patients, all with diabetes and all with an HDL measurements taken between six and 24 months apart. The patients were observed over the course of 8 years and those that showed an increase in HDL levels had an 8% lower heart attack rate than those whose HDL level remained unchanged. Those who showed in increase in LDL levels had 11% more heart attacks.
Although further research is required into the benefits of increasing HDL to those with an elevated cardiovascular disease risk, experts say that increasing HDL levels can help reduce ‘bad cholesterol’ levels in the body, as they carry it away from internal organs to the liver to be expelled. It’s believed that exercise and maintaining a healthy weight can increase HDL levels in the body, which is why doctors often recommend that people with high levels of bad cholesterol are active even if they are using a treatment.
