We've got LDL-cholesterol lowering down, easily and safely accomplished through the use of statins. HDL-cholesterol--that's the good stuff as in the more the merrier--is a different matter. At the same time that HDL levels are hard as hell to budge, this worthy high density lipoprotein (responsible for toting cholesterol from the peripheral cells back to the liver for elimination) is increasingly in the spotlight as equally if not important than LDL levels in determining cardiac risk.

I was hopeful that a new drug would soon be available to hoist up HDL effectively; early clinical trials indicated that torcetrapib could boost HDL by nearly 50%. Not going to happen; recently halted clinical trials also indicated that significantly more persons in the active treatment group died compared to those on placebos. Back to the drawing board on HDL-raising drugs. Meanwhile: exercise, wine, and weight loss are the best approach currently available to do the job.