查看文章

Background Low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol increase the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD), and recent clinical studies suggest that interventions in low-HDL patients are beneficial. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of increased HDL levels on endothelium-dependent vasodilation. Methods We studied patients with CAD with a low-density lipoprotein (LDL) level of <100 mg/dL. Patients with an HDL level of ≤36 mg/dL were treated with niacin (n = 11), and patients with an HDL level of >36 mg/dL were followed as controls (n = 10). Baseline and 3-month follow-up studies of flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and blood lipid levels were obtained. Results HDL levels increased from 30.1 ± 1.2 to 40.5 ± 1.2 mg/dL in the niacin-treated patients (P < .001) but remained unchanged in the control patients. At baseline, FMD was impaired in both the treated (6.5% ± 1%) and the control (7 …