What Causes Low HDL Levels?
High-density lipoprotein or HDL is the body’s way of transporting excess fats to the liver for storage and disposal. For this reason, doctors and patients often call HDL the “good cholesterol.” National Institutes of Health guidelines encourage men over age 20 to maintain an HDL level no lower than 40 mg per deciliter, or 1/10th of a liter, and women to aim for 50 mg per deciliter. Below these levels, HDL can not perform the protective function adequately.
