REDUCE-IT and STRENGTH trial directly test the triglyceride (TG) hypothesis by lowering plasma TG in patients with elevated fasting TG (150-500 mg/dL).

Does this have any releation to HDL? YES

Are any of the cardioprotective effects observed in REDUCE-IT (and possibly STRENGTH) attributable to HDL? Maybe

Just when you thought it was dead, let me re-introduce you to cholesterol ester transfer protein (CETP), which catalyzes the reciprocal exchange of TG from TG-rich lipoproteins with the cholesterol ester (CE) from HDL. There is often an inverse relationship between fasting plasma TG and HDL levels. The larger the very-low density lipoprotein (VLDL) pool TG, the greater the CETP-mediated transfer of CE from HDL to VLDL in exchange for TG, resulting in TG-rich small, dense HDL which are catabolized more rapidly, leading to low levels of HDL-C. 

I don't think the REDUCE-IT of STRENGTH trials will be able to ascertain the contribution of modulated HDL levels with their MACE outcomes, but pay attention to the HDL levels of the patients when the full data comes out. It could provide some fuel to the HDL hypothesis fire.

BearDownAZ