“Good” cholesterol helps prevent breakaway BLOOD CLOTS.

“Good” cholesterol helps prevent breakaway BLOOD CLOTS. Having a high level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL, or “good”) cholesterol appears to help prevent a second occurrence of venous thromboembolism. That’s when a piece of a blood clot that develops in a deep leg vein breaks off and is swept into the bloodstream; it may lodge in an artery in a lung, creating a life-threatening situation. A research team tracked a total of 772 men and women for an average of 4 years after their first experience with venous thromboembolism. Compared with those who had no repeat episodes during the follow-up period, the 100 individuals who suffered another thromboembolism had significantly lower levels of apolipoprotein AI—the major protein in HDL cholesterol. In addition, the repeat-episode group had markedly lower levels of HDL cholesterol. Further research may show that raising HDL levels through lifestyle changes or medication could reduce the risk of recurring venous thromboembolism.