A new drug to increase HDL levels

Cholesterol has been in the news for several decades and continues to be so. The very word cholesterol induces fear into everyone’s heart because of the widely held theory that this compound can promote coronary heart disease. Cholesterol is carried in the circulation by lipoproteins. The cholesterol carried by LDL is supposed to be bad while the cholesterol transported by HDL is believed to be good. Most of the drugs employed to reduce cholesterol, reduce only the LDL cholesterol and no drug is available which is capable of elevating the HDL cholesterol. Thus, any drug or, drugs capable of lowering LDL and elevating HDL would be highly useful to reduce cardiovascular disease risk.

Researchers in Canada have discovered a drug capable of elevating the HDL levels in the circulation. The target of this new drug is a molecule called microRNA-33 (miR-33). This RNA reduces the HDL levels and also increases the production of triglycerides. When this RNA is inhibited in animals, there is a 50% increase in the levels of HDL and triglyceride levels are lowered. Thus, a combination of this new drug and statins would go a long way in offering protection against coronary heart disease.