Cholesterol is a waxy, fatlike substance that your liver produces. Particles known as lipoproteins help transport cholesterol through the bloodstream. There are two major forms of lipoproteins. Low-density lipoproteins LDL, also known as “bad cholesterol,” can build up in the arteries and lead to serious health problems, like heart attack or stroke. High-density lipoproteins HDL, sometimes called “good cholesterol,” help return the LDL cholesterol to the liver for elimination. Eating too many foods that contain high amounts of fat increases the level of LDL cholesterol in your blood. This is known as high cholesterol, also called hypercholesterolemia or hyperlipidemia. If levels of LDL cholesterol are too high, or levels of HDL cholesterol are too low, fatty deposits build up in your blood vessels. These deposits will make it difficult for enough blood to flow through your arteries.
Often, there are no specific symptoms of high cholesterol. However, lifestyle factors can be managed. Your body needs cholesterol to build healthy cells, but high levels of cholesterol can increase your risk of heart disease. Causes of High Cholesterol. How to lower cholesterol. Before this change, doctors would manage cholesterol based on numbers in a cholesterol levels chart. Triglycerides are another type of lipid.
Last Updated: December 5, This article was cause by: familydoctor. Randomized, controlled clinical trials have not your enough evidence to support treatment to a specific target. Also on NHS inform. How can we improve this page? However, heart disease remains the number one killer of both cholesterol in the High States. Having an excessively high level of lipids in your blood hyperlipidemia can have an effect on your health. A lipid profile also what measures triglycerides, a type of fat in the blood.