Giving heart patients extra cholesterol "clears out" blocked arteries, researchers have found.

Patients with heart disease were given a version of high density lipoprotein (HDL), or "good" cholesterol.

It was found the treatment reduced fatty deposits in their arteries in just a few weeks.

The researchers, writing in the Journal of the American Medical Association, say their small study could lead to a novel way to treat heart disease.

The HDL used in the research was based on a natural variant found in a small community in northern Italy, discovered in the 1980s.

The 38 people living in the small Italian community of Limone Sul Garda had a significantly reduced level of heart disease, despite being at high risk.

It was found that they had a mutation of the major protein involved in the formation of HDL cholesterol.

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