Comprehensive and systematic characterisation of HDL particles in healthy subjects and patients with either coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes or both revealed further insight on structure-function-disease relationships of high-density lipoprotein particles.

First, coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes are associated with different changes of HDL in protein and lipid composition as well as functionality. Second, different functions of HDL show rather little correlations with each other and are determined by different structural components. Third, the study identified three novel structural determinants of HDL functions.