In one of the lectures on pathophysiology -- on the topic chronic systemic inflammation -- an HDL of 80 in postmenopausal women is noted. I thought this was protective? Is it an indicator of underlying good health or poor health.

In post menopausal women, a HDL of 80 or greater is now thought to be a sign of inflammation and not protective The study found that postmenopausal women with higher HDL levels as determined by the conventional testing method had a greater risk of atherosclerosis — as measured by ultrasound images of a major artery in the body — than postmenopausal women with lower HDL measurements, while postmenopausal women with higher concentrations of HDL particles based on ion-mobility testing had a lower risk of atherosclerosis. But it wasn't just the number of HDL particles measured by ion-mobility testing that made a difference in heart risk. Their size mattered, too: A higher number of small HDL particles was linked with a lower risk of atherosclerosis in postmenopausal women, while a higher number of large HDL particles was tied to a greater risk of atherosclerosis, especially in women close to menopause.