Treating low HDL—From bench to bedside

The inverse relationship between the plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) is well recognized in the general population. However, the development of effective therapeutics targeting HDL continues to be challenging, which is due in part to the heterogeneity of its structure and composition and the complexity of its metabolism. In this paper, we review a number of recent advances in our understanding of HDL metabolism and its role in atherogenesis. We discuss the HDL-C raising effect of a selected number of currently available lipid-modifying drugs and on a selected number of novel HDL-targeted therapeutic strategies under development.