Lipid metabolism plays an essential role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.
Cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) is a crucial glycoprotein involved in lipid metabolism by transferring
cholesteryl esters (CE) and triglycerides (TG) between plasma lipoproteins. CETP activity results in reduced
HDL-C and increased VLDL- and LDL-C concentrations, thus increasing the risk of cardiovascular and
metabolic diseases. In this review, we discuss the structure of CETP and its mechanism of action. Furthermore,
we focus on recent experiments on animal CETP-expressing models, deciphering the regulation and
functions of CETP in various genetic backgrounds and interaction with different external factors. Finally, we
discuss recent publications revealing the association of CETP single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with
the risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, lifestyle factors, diet and therapeutic interventions. While
CETP SNPs can be used as effective diagnostic markers, diet, lifestyle, gender and ethnic specificity should also
be considered for effective treatment.