The big issue with these types of studies if trying to find and control the core issues related to heart disease. With so much conflicting information about cholesterol and heart disease maybe it isn't as big of a factor as we assume.

Fiber, inflammatory markers, vegetable intake are all fairly important markers that were not looked at from my reading of the study. Maybe they are causing the confusion on the HDL correlation.

Then again the very foundation of the cholesterol theory to heart disease stands on shaky ground as the Seven Nation Study by Ansel Keys has been called out for cherry picking data.