Apolipoprotein E (apoE) plays a major role in maintaining arterial softness by supressing production of a network of connective tissue in the body according to an article published in the November 2012 issue of Cell Reports. This work suggests that it may be the apoE-containing HDL that confers the main benefit of HDL cholesterol by promoting arterial softness. It is interesting that even when cholesterol is high the softening effects of apoE take precedence in protecting against heart attacks and strokes.
