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HDL Cholesterol

Drugs and Chemicals · NLM MeSH · updated 2026-10-31 · version 1

Citations verified against PubMedNot yet clinician-reviewed10 referencesApproximately 5 min read

Cholesterol which is contained in or bound to high-density lipoproteins (HDL), including cholesterol esters and free cholesterol.

Table of Contents

1. Definition2. Research landscape3. Reading the evidence4. Open-access studies5. Key reviews6. References7. About this article

Definition and research guide

This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.

Content available: 4 complete abstracts (1,035 words), 10 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.

Definition

Cholesterol which is contained in or bound to high-density lipoproteins (HDL), including cholesterol esters and free cholesterol.

Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.

Also known as: HDL Cholesterol; High Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol; alpha-Lipoprotein Cholesterol; alpha Lipoprotein Cholesterol; Cholesterol, alpha-Lipoprotein; Cholesterol, HDL2; HDL(2) Cholesterol; HDL2 Cholesterol.

Where it fits in the MeSH classification

Broader topics
Cholesterol; Lipoproteins, HDL

Related concepts

  • Cholesterol Esters

Research landscape

PubMed indexes 34,181 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Cholesterol, HDL” (counts retrieved 2026-10-31). 5,873 of them (17.2%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is 2010-2019 with 10,477 records.

Reviews account for 3,162 records (9.3%) and meta-analyses for 773. Randomized controlled trials number 3,550 (10.4%) as a share of all records on the topic. Randomized trials make up a comparatively large share of this literature, which means many treatment questions have been tested directly.

PubMed records by publication periodthrough 1999: 8,552 records; 2000-2009: 9,279 records; 2010-2019: 10,477 records; 2020 onward: 5,873 records8,552through 19999,2792000-200910,4772010-20195,8732020 onward
Records in PubMed indexed with this heading, by publication period. Real counts from NCBI E-utilities; the final period covers only part of the current year. Volume reflects how much has been published, not how strong the evidence is.
Show the data
PeriodRecords
through 19998,552
2000-20099,279
2010-201910,477
2020 onward5,873
Share of records by publication typeReviews: 9.3 percent; Meta-analyses: 2.3 percent; Randomized controlled trials: 10.4 percentReviews9.3% (3,162)Meta-analyses2.3% (773)Randomized controlled trials10.4% (3,550)
Share of all PubMed records on this heading that carry each publication type. Types overlap with other records, so the shares do not sum to 100%.
Publication-type chart data
Publication types among 34,181 PubMed records
TypeRecordsShare
Reviews3,1629.3%
Meta-analyses7732.3%
Randomized controlled trials3,55010.4%

Method: PubMed query "Cholesterol, HDL"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-10-31.

Reading the evidence in drugs and chemicals

Studies of a chemical or drug can answer very different questions: what it is and how it behaves in cells and animals, how the body handles it, and whether it changes outcomes in people. Laboratory and animal findings often do not carry over to patients, and observational studies of exposures are confounded by who uses a substance and why. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to use, avoid, start or stop any substance or medicine; talk to a qualified clinician or pharmacist about your own situation. Check the dose, the species, the comparison group and whether a patient-relevant outcome was measured.

Evidence from open-access studies

These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.

Study comparison — selected abstracts, not a systematic review
Study / authorsYearSource label / designEurope PMC citationsLicence / source
Hs-CRP/HDL-C ratio as a predictive inflammatory-lipid marker for sarcopenia: evidence from NHANES 2015-2018
Guo XY, Li LW
2025Research article
Design not recorded in structured metadata
9cc by
PMID 40672942 · DOI · PMC12264492
Machine learning for predicting metabolic-associated fatty liver disease including NHHR: a cross-sectional NHANES study
Lin L, Xie Y, Lin Z, Lin C, Yang Y
2025Research article
Design not recorded in structured metadata
6cc by
PMID 40100868 · DOI · PMC11918377
Imbalances in circulating monocyte and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol exacerbates the residual risk of incident myocardial infarction beyond LDL-C: a real-life, prospective cohort study
Wu D, Lan Y, Ding X, Balmer L, Li X, Wang W, et al.
2025Research article
Design not recorded in structured metadata
3cc by
PMID 41469713 · DOI · PMC12754891
Prognostic value of admission NHHR for functional recovery in acute ischemic stroke
Kong X, Yuan X, Wang H, Zhao M, Jing W
2026Research article
Design not recorded in structured metadata
3cc by
PMID 41727690 · DOI · PMC12916411

Hs-CRP/HDL-C ratio as a predictive inflammatory-lipid marker for sarcopenia: evidence from NHANES 2015-2018 [1]

Research article Guo XY, Li LW · · 2025 · cited 9 times (Europe PMC)

Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
Opening excerpt
ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the association between the high-sensitivity C-reactive protein/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (Hs-CRP/HDL-C) ratio and sarcopenia among U.
Closing excerpt
.
Interpretation limits
Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (301 words)

ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the association between the high-sensitivity C-reactive protein/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (Hs-CRP/HDL-C) ratio and sarcopenia among U.S. population by using composite marker integrating systemic inflammation and lipid metabolism.MethodThis study included participants from the 2015-2018 of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Sarcopenia was diagnosed based on the skeletal muscle index (SMI) by using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) technology. The Hs-CRP/HDL-C ratio was derived from laboratory examinations, was categorized into quartiles. Multivariate logistic regression models, adjusted for demographic and clinical covariates, were employed to assess the association between the Hs-CRP/HDL-C ratio and sarcopenia. Subgroup analysis and restricted cubic splines (RCS) were used to examine potential nonlinear relationships and threshold effects. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the performance of the Hs-CRP/HDL-C ratio, Hs-CRP, and HDL-C indicators in predicting sarcopenia.ResultsThis study finally recorded 4,152 participants from NHANES from 2015-2018 for analysis. Elevated Hs-CRP/HDL-C ratios were significantly associated with an increased risk of sarcopenia, with a dose-response relationship observed across quartiles (p for trend p=0.004). Participants in the highest quartile (≥2.75) of the Hs-CRP/HDL-C ratio had a 122% higher risk of sarcopenia compared to those in the lowest quartile (p=0.005). Subgroup analyses showed a stronger association in adults aged ≥40 years, with notable differences across races, especially among non-Hispanic Whites and other race. RCS model identified a non-linear association, with a threshold effect at a ratio of 0.86. The combined inflammatory and lipid markers Hs CRP/HDL-C showed stronger predictive performance (AUC: 0.685, 95% CI 0.666-0.703).ConclusionThe Hs-CRP/HDL-C ratio can serve as a practical indicator to identify individuals at higher risk of sarcopenia, capturing the combined effects of chronic inflammation and lipid metabolism issues. This ratio may be useful for early detection and prevention efforts targeting sarcopenia. However, more prospective research is needed to confirm these findings..

Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 40672942 · DOI · PMC12264492

Machine learning for predicting metabolic-associated fatty liver disease including NHHR: a cross-sectional NHANES study [2]

Research article Lin L, Xie Y, Lin Z, Lin C, Yang Y · · 2025 · cited 6 times (Europe PMC)

Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
Opening excerpt
ObjectiveMetabolic - associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is a common hepatic disorder with increasing prevalence, and early detection remains inadequately achieved.
Closing excerpt
The inclusion of NHHR in the XGBoost predictive model for MAFLD demonstrated robust predictive capability, providing a valuable tool for the early detection of MAFLD with considerable clinical application potential.
Interpretation limits
Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (259 words)

ObjectiveMetabolic - associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is a common hepatic disorder with increasing prevalence, and early detection remains inadequately achieved. This study aims to explore the relationship between the non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (NHHR) and MAFLD, and to establish a predictive model for MAFLD using NHHR as a key variable.MethodsAll participants were selected from the NHANES cohort, spanning from 2017 to March 2020. Multiple linear regression models were employed to examine the relationship between the non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (NHHR) and the controlled attenuation parameter (CAP). To explore the non-linear association between NHHR and CAP, smooth curve fitting and restricted cubic splines (RCS) of the adjusted variables were utilized. Subgroup analyses were conducted to identify variations in the relationships between the independent and dependent variables across different populations. Finally, a metabolic - associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) prediction model was developed using seven machine learning methods, including eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LightGBM), Multilayer Perceptron (MLP), Random Forest, Support Vector Machine (SVM), K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN), and logistic regression. The SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations) value was employed to interpret the importance of various features.ResultWeighted multiple linear regression models revealed a significant positive correlation between the NHHR and the CAP (Beta = 7.42, 95% CI: 5.35-9.50, P ConclusionA significant positive correlation was identified between the NHHR and the CAP. The inclusion of NHHR in the XGBoost predictive model for MAFLD demonstrated robust predictive capability, providing a valuable tool for the early detection of MAFLD with considerable clinical application potential.

Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 40100868 · DOI · PMC11918377

Imbalances in circulating monocyte and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol exacerbates the residual risk of incident myocardial infarction beyond LDL-C: a real-life, prospective cohort study [3]

Research article Wu D, Lan Y, Ding X, Balmer L, Li X, Wang W, et al. · · 2025 · cited 3 times (Europe PMC)

Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
Opening excerpt
BackgroundA sustained oversupply of monocytes and markedly decreased levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) are notable in high-risk groups with residual cardiovascular risk, despite aggressive low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) lowering.
Closing excerpt
Longitudinally tracing MHR changes and targeting elevated MHR may help to optimize risk assessment and management of MI.
Interpretation limits
Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (282 words)

BackgroundA sustained oversupply of monocytes and markedly decreased levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) are notable in high-risk groups with residual cardiovascular risk, despite aggressive low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) lowering. This study aimed to explore whether an imbalance in circulating monocyte and HDL-C levels accounts for the residual risk of incident myocardial infarction (MI) within optimal LDL-C levels.MethodsA total of 48,522 participants free of cardiovascular diseases from a real-life, prospective cohort (Kailuan study) were included. The monocyte count, HDL-C level and monocyte-to-HDL-C ratio (MHR), calculated as time-averaged cumulative and baseline values, were used as the exposures. Time-to-event survival analyses were conducted to examine the association between exposure and MI incidence, especially tests for risk heterogeneity across different LDL-C levels and other potential confounders.ResultsDuring a median follow-up of 10.06 years, 573 MI events occurred. An elevated time-averaged MHR was positively correlated with clustering of traditional risk factors but inversely correlated with LDL-C levels. After adjusting for potential confounders, each 1-SD increase in the time-averaged monocyte count, HDL-C level and MHR was significantly associated with a risk of 1.18 (95% CI: 1.08-1.28), 0.86 (95% CI: 0.79-0.93) and 1.27 (95% CI: 1.16-1.38), respectively. Individuals with LDL-C levels between 1.8 and 2.6 mmol/L had the lowest MI incidence but the highest MI risk (1.50, 95% CI: 1.27-1.79) with exposure to time-averaged MHR. In contrast, individuals with LDL-C levels ≥ 3.4 mmol/L had the highest MI incidence, but nonsignificant MI risk (HR: 0.99, 95% CI 0.82-1.19) was associated with time-averaged MHR.ConclusionChronic imbalances in monocyte and HDL-C levels are significantly associated with incident MI among individuals with low LDL-C levels. Longitudinally tracing MHR changes and targeting elevated MHR may help to optimize risk assessment and management of MI.

Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 41469713 · DOI · PMC12754891

Prognostic value of admission NHHR for functional recovery in acute ischemic stroke [4]

Research article Kong X, Yuan X, Wang H, Zhao M, Jing W · · 2026 · cited 3 times (Europe PMC)

Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
Opening excerpt
BackgroundEarly risk stratification in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is critical for guiding management and improving outcomes.
Closing excerpt
It provides a novel integrated lipid-inflammation marker for early risk stratification, warranting further validation in prospective studies.
Interpretation limits
Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (193 words)

BackgroundEarly risk stratification in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is critical for guiding management and improving outcomes. The ratio of non-high-density lipoprotein to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (NHHR) represents the equilibrium between pro-atherogenic and anti-atherogenic lipoproteins, potentially capturing both lipid metabolism and inflammatory status, but its prognostic value in AIS remains unclear.MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed 812 first-ever AIS patients. Admission NHHR was calculated from routine lipid panels. The study's main outcome was 90-day functional status, determined using the modified Rankin Scale. Associations with NHHR were examined through multivariable logistic regression, quartile analyses, restricted cubic spline (RCS) modeling, and subgroup analyses.ResultsAmong 812 patients, 255 (31.4%) had unfavorable outcomes. Elevated NHHR showed an independent correlation with unfavorable 90-day functional outcomes (adjusted OR per unit increase, 1.233; 95% CI, 1.058-1.439; P = 0.0076). RCS analysis demonstrated a gradual rise in risk with increasing NHHR (P for trend = 0.043; P for nonlinearity = 0.584). Subgroup analyses showed consistent associations across sex, stroke severity, smoking, drinking, hypertension, and diabetes.ConclusionAdmission NHHR is a simple, inexpensive, and robust predictor of 90-day unfavorable outcomes in AIS. It provides a novel integrated lipid-inflammation marker for early risk stratification, warranting further validation in prospective studies.

Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 41727690 · DOI · PMC12916411

Key reviews and meta-analyses

The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.

  • Research article 2013 ACC/AHA guideline on the treatment of blood cholesterol to reduce atherosclerotic cardiovascular risk in adults: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines [5]
    Stone NJ, Robinson JG, Lichtenstein AH, Bairey Merz CN, Blum CB, Eckel RH, et al. · J Am Coll Cardiol · 2014 · cited 2,981 times (Europe PMC)
  • Research article Mendelian Randomization [6]
    Emdin CA, Khera AV, Kathiresan S · JAMA · 2017 · cited 2,955 times (Europe PMC)
  • Research article Plasma HDL cholesterol and risk of myocardial infarction: a mendelian randomisation study [7]
    Voight BF, Peloso GM, Orho-Melander M, Frikke-Schmidt R, Barbalic M, Jensen MK, et al. · Lancet · 2012 · cited 1,798 times (Europe PMC)
  • Research article Effects of dietary fatty acids and carbohydrates on the ratio of serum total to HDL cholesterol and on serum lipids and apolipoproteins: a meta-analysis of 60 controlled trials [8]
    Mensink RP, Zock PL, Kester AD, Katan MB · Am J Clin Nutr · 2003 · cited 1,623 times (Europe PMC)
  • Research article HDL and cardiovascular disease [9]
    Rader DJ, Hovingh GK · Lancet · 2014 · cited 534 times (Europe PMC)
  • Research article HDL and cardiovascular disease: atherogenic and atheroprotective mechanisms [10]
    Navab M, Reddy ST, Van Lenten BJ, Fogelman AM · Nat Rev Cardiol · 2011 · cited 509 times (Europe PMC)

References

  1. Guo XY, Li LW. Hs-CRP/HDL-C ratio as a predictive inflammatory-lipid marker for sarcopenia: evidence from NHANES 2015-2018. . 2025. PMID 40672942 · DOI · PMC12264492
  2. Lin L, Xie Y, Lin Z, Lin C, Yang Y. Machine learning for predicting metabolic-associated fatty liver disease including NHHR: a cross-sectional NHANES study. . 2025. PMID 40100868 · DOI · PMC11918377
  3. Wu D, Lan Y, Ding X, Balmer L, Li X, Wang W, et al.. Imbalances in circulating monocyte and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol exacerbates the residual risk of incident myocardial infarction beyond LDL-C: a real-life, prospective cohort study. . 2025. PMID 41469713 · DOI · PMC12754891
  4. Kong X, Yuan X, Wang H, Zhao M, Jing W. Prognostic value of admission NHHR for functional recovery in acute ischemic stroke. . 2026. PMID 41727690 · DOI · PMC12916411
  5. Stone NJ, Robinson JG, Lichtenstein AH, Bairey Merz CN, Blum CB, Eckel RH, et al.. 2013 ACC/AHA guideline on the treatment of blood cholesterol to reduce atherosclerotic cardiovascular risk in adults: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2014. PMID 24239923 · DOI
  6. Emdin CA, Khera AV, Kathiresan S. Mendelian Randomization. JAMA. 2017. PMID 29164242 · DOI
  7. Voight BF, Peloso GM, Orho-Melander M, Frikke-Schmidt R, Barbalic M, Jensen MK, et al.. Plasma HDL cholesterol and risk of myocardial infarction: a mendelian randomisation study. Lancet. 2012. PMID 22607825 · DOI · PMC3419820
  8. Mensink RP, Zock PL, Kester AD, Katan MB. Effects of dietary fatty acids and carbohydrates on the ratio of serum total to HDL cholesterol and on serum lipids and apolipoproteins: a meta-analysis of 60 controlled trials. Am J Clin Nutr. 2003. PMID 12716665 · DOI
  9. Rader DJ, Hovingh GK. HDL and cardiovascular disease. Lancet. 2014. PMID 25131981 · DOI
  10. Navab M, Reddy ST, Van Lenten BJ, Fogelman AM. HDL and cardiovascular disease: atherogenic and atheroprotective mechanisms. Nat Rev Cardiol. 2011. PMID 21304474 · DOI

About this article

Sources
NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
Verification
Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-10-31; title, year and DOI matched.
Review state
automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
Version
1, last updated 2026-10-31.

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EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.

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All 546 articles in Drugs and Chemicals →

At a glance

34,181
PubMed records on this heading
17%
published since 2020
3,162
review articles
3,550
randomized trials
10
verified references below

Counts come from PubMed on 2026-10-31; they show how much has been written, not how strong the evidence is.

Related topics See all →

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  • CholesterolDrugs and Chemicals
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