The Mystery of High-density Lipoprotein: Quantity or Quality? Update on Therapeutic Strategies.

: This review summarizes the data challenging the concept that cardiovascular protection through high-density lipoprotein (HDL) is only associated with its serum concentration. This conventional impression about its protective role now appears obsolete. New aspects of its mechanisms are revealed and novel therapeutic strategies are based on them. However, data from long-term cost-effectiveness studies of treating HDL are still needed. There is a need for biomarkers that represent the functional characteristics of HDL in order to better quantify the total cardiovascular risk.