Low high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) is common in people who are obese, smoke, and lack physical activity. Therefore, for those with low HDL-C levels, non-drug treatment such as exercise, quitting smoking, and losing weight should be preferred.
Exercise can effectively increase serum HDL-C levels. Additionally, treating the primary diseases that cause decreased HDL-C levels, such as nephrotic syndrome and diabetes, is necessary.
When patients with coronary heart disease have increased low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) levels accompanied by Low high density lipoprotein cholesterol, lipid-lowering treatment should be adopted. Drugs that can increase HDL-C levels, such as nicotinic acid, 0.1-2 grams each time, three times a day, should be selected. Nicotinic acid has significant adverse reactions, and if patients cannot tolerate these reactions, statin drugs can be used as an alternative. These drugs have a mild HDL-C- elevating effect.
Niacin should also be the first choice when hypertriglyceridemia with low HDL-C needs treatment. When isolated hypohdl-c is accompanied by hypertension, drugs that can reduce HDL-C should not be selected, such as β- Receptor blockers instead of drugs that do not affect HDL-C levels, such as angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and long-acting calcium antagonists. When there is isolated hypohdl-c without other serum lipid abnormalities, drugs that elevate HDL-C are not recommended as the primary prevention of coronary heart disease.