HDL helps clear bad cholesterol from the blood, and high levels are protective against heart disease. However, the role of low HDL cholesterol following bypass surgery had not previously been clearly established. The researchers identified 432 men registered in the Cardiovascular Information Registry at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation who had undergone lipid studies before having coronary bypass surgery. The study lasted 20 years. Patients were contacted at 5-year intervals to recheck their lipid levels.
Lipids are fatty substances, such as cholesterol, found in the blood.
Foody says this is the largest study to examine the role of HDL cholesterol in survival rates following heart surgery. The findings add to a growing body of evidence suggesting the significant role of HDL cholesterol in the development of heart disease, she says. She adds that perhaps the use of certain drugs such as niacin and gemfibrozil, which regulate cholesterol levels, could help raise HDL cholesterol either before or after surgery. Exercise has also been shown to raise HDL levels. They were less obese and less likely to have diabetes and hypertension.