HDL Levels and Cardiovascular Risk in Patients with Very Low LDL Levels

Although high HDL cholesterol levels are generally associated with a reduced incidence of cardiovascular events, whether this association persists among statin-treated patients who achieve very low LDL levels is uncertain. To address this question, researchers performed a post hoc analysis of data from a previously published industry-sponsored study (see Journal Watch General Medicine Apr 1 2005).

Patients with coronary heart disease received either 10 mg or 80 mg of atorvastatin per day, which resulted in mean LDL levels of 101 mg/dL and 77 mg/dL, respectively. Regardless of the LDL level achieved by these statin recipients, higher HDL levels predicted lower rates of cardiovascular events at 5 years. In the subgroup of patients with the low…