Abstract

The dramatic failure of clinical trials evaluating the cholesterol ester transfer protein inhibitor torcetrapib has led to considerable doubt about the value of raising high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) as a treatment for cardiovascular disease. These results have underscored the intricacy of HDL metabolism, with functional quality perhaps being a more important consideration than the circulating quantity of HDL. As a result, HDL-based therapeutics that maintain or enhance HDL functionality warrant closer investigation. In this article, we review the complexity of HDL metabolism, discuss clinical-trial data for HDL-raising agents, including possible reasons for the failure of torcetrapib, and consider the potential for future HDL-based therapies.

Author affiliations

1. Robarts Research Institute and Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada, N6A 5K8

Correspondence to: Robert A. Hegele¹ Email: hegele@robarts.ca

MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS

These links to content published by NPG are automatically generated.