Good cholesterol shows its merit, yet again.

Men who reach their 85th birthdays tended to have high levels of good cholesterol while in their 60s. Researchers found that men with the highest good (HDL) cholesterol were 28 percent less likely to die before they reached 85, compared to men in the lowest HDL group. Published in the American Journal of Cardiology, the study adds to the evidence that HDL is important for a long life,

Also, fewer of the men with higher HDL were overweight, and they tended not to have more than 2 drinks a day. And fewer of them had heart disease or smoked, compared to the lowest HDL group. The B-vitamin niacin raises HDL levels 15 to 35 percent. A three-month supply costs about nine dollars.