What is Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that that’s found in all the cells in your body. Your body needs some cholesterol to work properly. But if you have too much of it in your blood, it can stick to the walls of your arteries and narrow or even block them. This puts you at risk of coronary artery disease and other heart diseases.
Cholesterol comes from two sources. Your liver makes all the cholesterol you need. The remainder of the cholesterol in your body comes from foods from animals.
What are the types of cholesterol?
There are different types of cholesterol. Each is named after the different proteins that carry cholesterol (lipoproteins) in the blood. The main types of lipoproteins are high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL).
HDL cholesterol is known as ‘good’ cholesterol. This is because HDL helps remove cholesterol from your arteries by carrying cholesterol back to your liver for disposal.
LDL cholesterol is known as ‘bad’ cholesterol. This is because LDL leaves cholesterol in your arteries.
Triglycerides are a type of fat in your blood that can also increase your risk of heart disease. Triglycerides are usually tested along with cholesterol when you have a cholesterol blood test.
Symptoms of High Cholesterol
Most people won’t know they have high cholesterol unless they get a blood test for cholesterol levels. This is because it is not common to have symptoms, unless you have very high levels of cholesterol. Symptoms include fatty bumps on your skin, most often on the elbows, joints, hands, feet or buttocks, and grayish-white rings around the corneas of the eyes. These symptoms typically occur in those with a family history of high cholesterol, according to the NHLBI.
What Happens When Cholesterol Is High?
Cholesterol is measured with a blood test called a lipid panel, which provides the amount of total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, and triglycerides. High cholesterol is a condition of elevated total cholesterol or LDL cholesterol, which is linked to higher risk of heart disease.
Dyslipidemia is another term that more broadly means abnormal cholesterol levels. Along with high LDL, it also includes low HDL, which is another marker of increased cardiovascular disease risk.
When cholesterol is abnormal, cholesterol plaques can form in the arteries. You can think of arteries like pipes, and cholesterol as gunk that clogs a pipe. Over time, as more cholesterol builds up, the blood vessels can narrow and impair blood flow to organs. Unstable plaques can rupture, leading to heart attacks and strokes.
What causes high cholesterol?
There is no single cause of high cholesterol, but factors that increase your risk include:
- Older age
- Smoking
- Increased alcohol use
- Lack of physical activity
- Family history
- Unhealthy diet
- Overweight or obesity
How can I lower my cholesterol naturally?
You can lower your cholesterol through heart-healthy lifestyle changes. They include a heart-healthy eating plan, weight management, and regular physical activity.
If the lifestyle changes alone do not lower your cholesterol enough, you may also need to take medicines. There are several types of cholesterol-lowering medicines available, including statins. If you take medicines to lower your cholesterol, you still should continue with the lifestyle changes.
Cholesterol Strategy is a book that you will learn about the activities and habits that cause cholesterol to build up in your arteries.
