Doubt Cast on the ‘Good’ in ‘Good Cholesterol’

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Doubt Cast on the ‘Good’ in ‘Good Cholesterol’
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/17/h...-cholesterol-found-not-to-cut-heart-risk.html

The study’s authors emphasize that they are not questioning the well-documented finding that higher HDL levels are associated with lower heart disease risk. But the relationship may not be causative. Many assumed it was because the association was so strong and consistent.

Ugh... basic science 101... correlation does not imply causation, and strength of correlation has nothing to do with it either.

Dr. Lauer explains what that means with an analogy.
“One might think of a highway accident that causes a massive traffic jam,” he said. “Stewing in the jam many miles away, I might be tempted to strike the sign that says ‘accident ahead,’ but that won’t do any good. The ‘accident-ahead’ sign is not the cause of the traffic jam — the accident is. Analogously, targeting HDL won’t help if it’s merely a sign.”