A New Synthetic HDL To Treat Your Cholesterol Woes: Do You Think It Will Work?

How many of you have low HDL cholesterol levels? It's not as uncommon as you think. Your HDL, also known as your "good" cholesterol, can actually help protect you against heart disease. Despite its value on our heart health, there aren't any drugs on the market that can specifically raise HDL levels. According to a new study published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, this may change in the future.

Scientists at Northwestern University have recently developed a synthetic HDL that may help those of us who have low levels of HDL in our bodies. Designed from gold nanoparticles, this synthetic form of HDL has the same shape and size as the HDL typically found in our bodies. Additionally, these particles are able to bind to cholesterol.

However, you won't see this out on the market anytime soon. More biological studies will need to be conducted in order to see how this form of HDL behaves in animals and humans.

In the meantime, there are some ways you can boost your HDL levels, including:

• Plenty of exercise
• Moderate alcohol consumption
• Smoking cessation