Increasing HDL With Wine Might Be Pointless

Bad news for wine lovers: New research has challenged the oft-cited theory stating that HDL (good cholesterol) — levels of which are said to be increased by judicious consumption of red wine — helps prevent heart disease.

In a study published in the journal Lancet, researchers found that raising HDL levels doesn't always correlate with a decreased risk of heart disease, especially when looking at a group of people with genetically high HDL levels.

Recent clinical trials also show that medication raising HDL levels may not help, although studies are still ongoing. ABC News reports that while experts are a little more wary of the HDL claim, final conclusions will have to come from further trials of HDL medication.

"Bottom line: don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. The inverse relationship between HDL and heart disease is based on a half-century worth of data," Dr. Michael Miller of the University of Maryland Medical Center told ABC News. And don't throw out that châteauneuf-du-pape.