Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
The type of cholesterol that's nicknamed "good" cholesterol may be even better than experts realized. Hi, I'm Dr. Cindy Haines, host of HealthDay TV.
According to the American Heart Association, a substance called high-density lipoprotein, or HDL, appears to carry cholesterol away from your arteries and to your liver, which gets rid of it. This may keep cholesterol from building up in plaque in your arteries. Thus, the HDL cholesterol is often called the "good cholesterol."
But a new study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology finds that HDL cholesterol may do more than reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease.
After analyzing the results of earlier studies, researchers found that higher levels of HDL cholesterol were associated with a lower rate of cancer. With each increase of 10 milligrams per deciliter of HDL, the rate of cancer development fell by 36 percent.
HDL cholesterol may have an effect against cancer by reducing inflammation in the body, the researchers write. According to the National Institutes of Health, among the most effective ways of raising HDL levels are:
* Losing excess weight
* And getting regular physical activity
Certain medications can also be helpful.
I'm Dr. Cindy Haines of HealthDay TV, with the news that doctors are reading; health news that matters to you.
