Research
Adherence
Smoking reduces HDL-C concentrations by approximately 6%, and smoking cessation reverses this reduction, raising HDL-C by about 0.10 mmol/L.
Quit smoking. Your HDL-C will likely increase by about 0.10 mmol/L. Be aware that nicotine replacement therapy (patches/gum) might delay this HDL recovery; stopping the nicotine itself allows HDL to normalize. The benefit of quitting outweighs potential weight gain.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
A meta-analysis carried out almost 25 years ago indicated that smoking has a strong independent effect on plasma HDL-C levels with smokers having on average 6 % lower HDL-C concentrations compared to non-smokers... A meta-analysis of 27 studies incorporating over 6,000 subjects indicated that HDL-C increased by 0.10 mmol/L after smoking cessation
Why this rating
Based on meta-analyses of multiple studies.
Source
HDL and Lifestyle Interventions
Joan Carles Escolà‐Gil et al. · Handbook of experimental pharmacology · 2014
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-09665-0_18
narrative_reviewCited 29×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Replacing saturated fatty acids (SFA) with polyunsaturated (PUFA) or monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) reduces serum HDL-C, whereas replacing carbohydrates with these fatty acids increases HDL-C.Good
- Regular aerobic exercise increases HDL-C levels, particularly in individuals with high baseline triglycerides and low HDL-C, through increased HDL synthesis and reduced catabolism.Good
- Weight loss, particularly through bariatric surgery, improves HDL functionality (cholesterol efflux capacity) and shifts HDL particle size to larger, more protective forms, even if HDL-C concentration changes are modest.Moderate
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