Abstract: Many large-scale clinical studies show that high-density lipoprotein(HDL) level is closely related to coronary heart disease.Its cardiovascular protection is reflected in reversing cholesterol transport,anti-oxidation,adjusting endothelial function,anti-inflammatory,and exhibiting multiple beneficial effects on the coagulation system.In this paper,the structure and the metabolism of HDL as well as the progress on its protection of cardiovascular disease were reviewed.