Abstract—HDL has many protective activities against atherosclerosis including its role in reverse cholesterol transport, and its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and endothelial cell maintenance functions. Various HDL subclasses vary in quantitative and qualitative content of lipids, apolipopropteins, enzymes, and lipid transfer proteins, resulting in differences in shape, density, size, charge, and antigenecity. After accepting excess cellular cholesterol from arterial macrophages and other peripheral tissues HDL transports the excess cholesterol to the liver for disposal. Although, a routine clinical assay for dysfunctional HDL is not currently available, the development of such an assay would be beneficial for a better understanding of the role that dysfunctional HDL plays as a risk factor for coronary artery disease, and for the determination of how various drug therapies effect HDL functionality. We can conclude that HDL may function as a recipe to longevity and a potential pharmacological target for the therapeutic attenuation of atherosclerosis. Further, reconstituted HDL is a promising candidate for treatment and management of diabetic dyslipidemia, hyperlipidemia, and cardiovascular diseases.