The type of cholesterol matters!

It is now well acknowledged that the type of cholesterol matters.

We have HDL (High Density Lipoprotein) which is called the "good" cholesterol, and is associated with a lower risk of heart disease (10, 11, 12, 13).

Then we have LDL, also known as the "bad" cholesterol, associated with an increased risk (14, 15, 16).

However, the situation gets even more complicated than that. It turns out that there are subtypes of LDL, specifically relating to the size of the particles.

It is now known that the size of the LDL particles is of critical importance. People who have mostly small, dense LDL particles are at a much greater risk of heart disease than those who have mainly large LDL particles (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22).

Scientists now realize that the number of LDL particles (LDL-p) is more important than their total concentration (LDL-c). The greater your LDL particle number, the more likely you are to have mostly small, dense LDL particles (23, 24, 25).

BOTTOM LINE:The relationship between cholesterol and heart disease is complex. HDL is associated with a lower risk, while small, dense LDL particles are associated with a greater risk.

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