Prevention & lipidsCohort study
Association of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol with the top 10 causes of death
- Prospective cohort study
- sex-stratified
- restricted cubic splines
- Cox proportional hazards and Fine-Gray subdistribution hazard models
Authors' conclusion
HDL-C is nonlinearly and sex-specifically associated with the top ten global causes of death.
Study context
- Population
- UK Biobank participants with baseline high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) dataUK Biobank
- Participants
- 429,759 participants
- Exposure
- HDL-C levels vs cause-specific mortality
- Outcome
- Mortality from the ten leading global causes of death
- Follow-up
- Median 13.8 years
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Cause-specific mortality by HDL-C
Optimal HDL-C range for lowest death risk from these causes, females
58-74 mg/dL
Optimal HDL-C range for lowest death risk from these causes, males
50-60 mg/dL
J-shaped curves for COPD and liver disease; lowest death risk at
30-50 mg/dL
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Original publication
Association of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol with the top 10 causes of death. Eur J Prev Cardiol. Published 24 November 2025. doi:10.1093/eurjpc/zwaf749
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it