Implications of torcetrapib failure for the future of HDL therapy: is HDL-cholesterol the right target?

Owing to many potentially anti-atherogenic functions and the inverse correlation of high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol (C) plasma levels with cardiovascular risk, HDLs have evolved as an attractive target for the prevention and therapy of coronary heart disease. Previously, the failure of torcetrapib, the frequent confounding of low HDL-C with other pro-atherogenic conditions, as well as inconsistent data from patients and animal models...