New human genetic link to high levels of 'good' cholesterol

HDL cholesterol (HDL-C), or 'good' cholesterol, carries excess cholesterol - that might otherwise block arteries - from blood vessels back to the liver for processing and elimination. As such, individuals with high plasma HDL-C levels have a decreased risk of developing coronary artery disease. Genetics contribute to determining a person's plasma HDL-C level, and in a new JCI study Daniel Rader and colleagues from the University of Pennsylvania show that mutations in the LIPG gene, which codes for an enzyme known as endothelial lipase, result in high plasma HDL-C levels...

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