Alcohol Consumption and High-Density Lipoprotein

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Abstract
To the Editor: The interesting study of Yano, Rhoads and Kagan (N Engl J Med 297:405–409, 1977) raised the question whether the lower incidence of coronary heart disease observed in men consuming moderate amounts of ethanol could be partly explained by the higher levels of alpha (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol found among alcohol consumers.A number of observations indicate that high concentrations of high-density lipoproteins may indeed protect against atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. This evidence is based on epidemiologic studies describing lower levels in patients with a history of myocardial infarction than in matched controls,1 and is supported by in vitro experiments . . .