Modification of plasma cholesterol through exercise

Preview

Lowering of blood cholesterol levels has been advocated as a major deterrent to coronary artery disease. Now, investigators have suggested that one component of total blood cholesterol—high-density lipoprotein (HDL)—has an antiatherogenic effect and that we should do all we can to increase HDL cholesterol levels. In this article, the authors review the evidence supporting this suggestion, discuss the purportedly beneficial effects of exercise on HDL cholesterol levels, and present a typical exercise prescription.