Methylglyoxal is a sugar derived substance produced by the breakdown of sugar. This compound is increased in the circulation in people with diabetes.Researchers discovered that methylglyoxal (MG) destabilizes HDL (High Density Lipoprotein or good cholesterol)and causes it to lose the properties which protect against heart disease. HDL damaged by MG is rapidly cleared from the blood, reducing its HDL content, or remains in plasma having lost its beneficial.

Low levels of High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) are closely linked to heart disease, with increased levels of MG being common in the elderly and those with diabetes or kidney problems.

Lead researcher Dr. Naila Rabbani, of the Warwick Medical School, says that: "MG damage to HDL is a new and likely important cause of low and dysfunctional HDL, and could count for up to a 10% risk of heart disease." There are currently no drugs that can reverse low levels of HDL, but the Warwick researchers argue that discovering how MG damages HDL has provided new potential strategies for reducing MG levels.

MG is formed from glucose in the body. It is 40,000 times more reactive than glucose and damages arginine residue (amino acid) in HDL at a functionally important site causing the particle to become unstable. Dr. Rabbani said, "We could now develop new food supplements that decrease MG by increasing the amount of a protein called glyoxalase 1, or Glo 1, which converts MG to harmless substances." "This means that in future we have both new drugs and new foods that can help prevent and correct low HDL, all through the control of MG."

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