Higher HDL Cholesterol levels reduces Heart Attack and Stroke risk in Diabetes patients

A new study of more than 30,000 patients with Diabetes shows that increasing levels of high-density lipoproteins (HDL cholesterol) reduced the risk for heart attack and stroke. While there is considerable evidence that reducing the amount of low-density lipoprotein, (LDL cholesterol) can reduce the risk of heart disease, the relationship between HDL cholesterol and heart disease is less clear. The study showed that patients whose HDL levels increased had 8 percent fewer heart attacks and strokes than patients whose HDL levels remained the same, while patients whose HDL levels decreased had 11 percent more heart attacks and strokes. The results, published in the American Journal of Cardiology, indicates that raising HDL levels may be an important strategy for reducing heart attack risk. Earlier this year the National Institutes of Health stopped a clinical trial using large doses of niacin to boost HDL levels because the patients, who were already taking statins to reduce their "bad" cholesterol, saw no added reduction in heart attacks. See: "Change in High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol and Risk of Subsequent Hospitalization for Coronary Artery Disease or Stroke Among Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus." The American Journal of Cardiology, Vol 108, 8, 15 October 2011, P 1124-1128.