Population studies have shown that plasma HDL levels correlate inversely with
cardiovascular disease risk. In recent years there has been intense interest in developing
strategies for exploiting these cardioprotective properties by increasing HDL levels. While
this approach has considerable merit, it is important to recognize that HDL are structurally
and functionally diverse and consist of numerous, highly dynamic subpopulations of
particles that do not all inhibit atherosclerosis to the same extent. For this reason it is …