Researchers have found that individuals with very low high-density lipoproteins (HDL) cholesterol had a 75 percent higher risk of infectious disease, whereas the risk was 43 percent higher in those with very high HDL cholesterol
ADVERTISEMENT
Variations in good cholesterol may increase the risk of infectious diseases like gastroenteritis or pneumonia, according to a study. So, while bad cholesterol has been blamed for an increased risk of heart disease, fluctuations in good cholesterol level can be equally harmful to the body.
Researchers said that people with very low high-density lipoproteins (HDL) cholesterol had a 75 percent higher risk of infectious disease, whereas the risk was 43 percent higher in those with very high HDL cholesterol. "We found that individuals with both low and high HDL cholesterol had high risk of hospitalisation with an infectious disease," said Borge Nordestgaard, Professor at the University of Copenhagen in Demark.
"Importantly, these groups of individuals also had high risk of dying from infectious disease," Nordestgaard added.
For the findings, published in the European Heart Journal, the team examined the data from 100,000 individuals.
"Numerous studies in animals and cells indicate that HDL is of importance for the function of the immune system and thereby the susceptibility to infectious disease. However, this study is the first to examine if HDL is associated with the risk of infectious disease among individuals from the general population," explained co-author Christian Medom Madsen, post-doctoral student at the varsity.
However, the study cannot conclude that very low or very high HDL is the direct cause of the increased risk of infectious disease.
"Our findings indicate that, in the future, research into the role and function of HDL should not narrowly focus on cardiovascular disease, but rather focus on the role of HDL in other disease areas, such as infectious disease," Nordestgaard said.
Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates
This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
