WHY RAISE HDL‐C LEVELS?
Several epidemiological studies have established a low level of HDL‐C (<1.0 mmol/l or 40 mg/dl) to be a critical determinant of cardiovascular risk, independent of levels of LDL‐C. The Framingham study from the 1970s first revealed low HDL‐C levels to be associated with adverse cardiovascular events.5 In that pivotal study it was reported that an HDL‐C level of <1.03 mmol/l (40 mg/dl) in men and <1.29 mmol/l (50 mg/dl) in women was associated with increased cardiovascular risk. Analysis of the epidemiological data available suggests that cardiovascular risk increases by 2–3% for every increase of 0.03 mmol/l (1 mg/dl) HDL‐C.6 In the Prospective Cardiovascular Munster (PROCAM) study, patients with HDL‐C of ≥0.9 mmol/l (35 mg/dl) experienced an approximate 70% reduced risk of developing coronary heart disease (CHD) over 6 years when compared to those with HDL‐C of <0.9 mmol/l (35 mg/dl).7 The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study reported a clear inverse association between HD
