Health Conditions

What is it?

Cholesterol is a soft, waxy, fat-like substance the body needs for cells to grow and regenerate. Cholesterol comes from two sources: your body and the foods you eat. The body makes its own cholesterol in the liver, and it only takes a small amount of cholesterol in the blood to meet your body's needs. However, because cholesterol can be found in foods such as red meats, whole milk dairy foods, and egg yolks, eating too much dietary cholesterol can make your blood cholesterol levels increase. Too much cholesterol circulating in the bloodstream is known as hypercholesterolemia.

Hypercholesterolemia increases the risk of heart disease because it can lead to atherosclerosis, a condition in which fat and cholesterol are deposited on the walls of the arteries. Atherosclerosis can occur in arteries throughout the body, including the coronary arteries (those feeding the heart). In time, narrowing or clogging of the coronary arteries by atherosclerosis can produce the signs and symptoms of heart disease, including angina (chest pain) and heart attacks.

When cholesterol builds up in arteries, it forms plaques which block blood flow and deny oxygen to the heart.

There are a number of types of cholesterol:

1. Low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) are often referred to as "bad cholesterol" because LDL cholesterol carries cholesterol to the body?s tissues, including the arteries. Elevated levels of LDLs can lead to heart disease.
2. High-density lipoproteins (HDLs) are referred to as "good cholesterol" because HDL cholesterol carries cholesterol from the tissues to the liver for removal from the body. Elevated levels of HDLs can prevent heart disease.
3. Triglycerides are a storage form of fat. Elevated levels of triglycerides may also increase the risk of heart disease.

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