Background: It is currently thought that pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis are different manifestations of the same pathological process of venous thromboembolism. Venous thromboembolism has a negative correlation with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Hypothesis: Pulmonary embolism has a negative correlation with the level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Methods: A total of go patients with pulmonary embolism, diagnosed and treated at a single center, were retrospectively analyzed for the present study. Among them were 57 cases of pulmonary arterial trunk embolism in group A and 33 cases of pulmonary arterial non-trunk embolism in group B. Results: The results showed that the level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol decreased markedly in patients with pulmonary arterial trunk embolism as compared to those with pulmonary arterial non-trunk embolism. A stepwise logistic regression analysis was performed upon the relationship between pulmonary arterial trunk embolism and multiple factors. The results showed that a pulmonary arterial trunk embolism had a negative correlation with the level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and a positive correlation with triglyceride and high sensitivity C-reactive protein. Conclusions: Pulmonary arterial trunk embolism is negatively correlated with the level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol.