HDL and Macular Degeneration

HDL (“good cholesterol”) is important for heart health, but its relationship with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is surprising.

Both very low and very high HDL levels have been associated with an increased risk of AMD in some studies, suggesting that the healthiest range for the retina may lie somewhere in the middle rather than at either extreme. This is sometimes called a “U-shaped curve.”

At this point, those associations are not enough to impact recommendations about HDL; it is still best to follow general physicians’ and cardiologists’ advice regarding HDL.