'Good' cholesterol can help treat pulmonary hypertension

For those suffering from pulmonary hypertension, a serious lung disease that narrows the small blood vessels in the lungs, here's some good news. A new study demonstrates that protein in "good" cholesterol may treat the affliction.

In lab tests on rodents, researchers showed that a part of the main protein in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) - "good" cholesterol - may help reduce the production of oxidized lipids in pulmonary hypertension. They also found that reducing the amount of oxidized lipids improved the rodents' heart and lung functions.

"HDL cholesterol can help reduce oxidised lipids that might provide a new target for treatment development," said Dr Mansoureh Eghbali, an associate professor of anesthesiology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles.

A rare progressive condition, pulmonary hypertension can affect people of all ages.

The disease makes it harder for the heart to pump blood through these vital organs which can lead to heart failure, said the study appearing online in the journal Circulation.