Dietary approaches to improving atheroprotective HDL functions

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Science
• Nutritional Science
• Metabolic Disease Research

Background:

• High-density lipoproteins (HDL) are crucial for cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention.
• HDL possesses atheroprotective functions including reverse cholesterol transport, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, vasodilatory, and antithrombotic activities.
• These HDL functions can be dysregulated in metabolic diseases and may be independent of HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C) levels.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review dietary strategies impacting HDL function beyond HDL-C.
• To highlight bioactive nutrients, functional foods, and dietary programs that modulate HDL function for CVD risk reduction.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of studies investigating dietary components and HDL function.
• Analysis of research on nutrients, functional foods, and dietary patterns affecting HDL properties.
• Focus on HDL functional parameters beyond traditional HDL-C measurements.

Main Results:

• Various dietary components and strategies have been shown to modulate HDL functionality.
• These dietary interventions impact HDL's atheroprotective properties, independent of HDL-C levels.
• Evidence suggests a link between specific diets and improved HDL-mediated CVD protection.

Conclusions:

• Dietary interventions represent a promising approach to enhance HDL function for CVD prevention.
• Focusing on HDL's functional attributes, rather than solely HDL-C, is critical for therapeutic development.
• Bioactive nutrients, functional foods, and dietary programs offer avenues for modulating HDL to reduce cardiovascular risk.