[HDL cholesterol as a risk factor for arteriosclerosis (author's transl)].

Recent studies have demonstrated a negative correlation between the cholesterol content of the HDL fraction of serum lipoproteins and the incidence of arteriosclerosis. In this study the limits of normality of HDL-cholesterol have been determined in a male and female population, followed by an analysis of the HDL-cholesterol in patients with myocardial infarction. Normal values for total cholesterol in males and females were, respectively, 194.7 +/- 61.8 mg/dl and 188 +/- 62.8 mg/dl, and those of HDL-cholesterol, 63.1 +/- 14.6 mg/dl and 70.3 +/- 24.4 mg/dl. Total cholesterol in the patients with myocardial infarction was not significantly different from that of the control group, but HDL-cholesterol was significantly lower (p < 0.05).