An experimental heart drug can raise levels of HDL, the so-called good cholesterol, by more than a third, lowering the risk of heart disease, Dutch researchers say.
Just four weeks of taking the drug raised high-density lipoprotein, called good cholesterol, in patients by 34 per cent.
The drug is called a CETP inhibitor and it blocks the cholesterol ester transfer protein, which lowers HDL, the researchers said in the journal Circulation.
They said that the 198 people who took the drug lowered their LDL or "bad" cholesterol by 7 per cent.
"CETP represents an important target because this protein plays a key role in HDL metabolism.
"In fact, a genetic deficiency of CETP is the main reason for high HDL in Asian populations," said Dr John Kastelein of the Academic Medical Centre in Amsterdam.
"Although these results hold promise, further studies are needed to investigate whether the increase in HDL cholesterol translates into a reduction in coronary artery disease risk," Dr Kastelein said.
HDL carries fat out of the blood, lowering the risk of heart disease for those with high HDL levels.
- REUTERS
nzherald.co.nz/health
Lift for good cholesterol
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