To understand high blood cholesterol (ko-LES-ter-ol), it is important to know more about it. It is a waxy, fat-like substance that is found in all cells of the body.
Your body needs some to work the right way. Your body makes all the
cholesterol it needs. It is also found in some of the foods you eat.
Your body uses it to make hormones, vitamin D, and substances that help
you digest foods. Too much, can be serious. People with high blood
cholesterol have a greater chance of getting heart disease.
This disease on its own does not cause symptoms; so many people are unaware that their cholesterol level is too high. It can build up in the walls of your arteries. This build-up is called plaque (plak). Over time, plaque can cause narrowing of the arteries. This is called atherosclerosis (ath-er-o-skler-O-sis), or hardening of the arteries.
Special arteries, called coronary arteries, bring blood to the heart. Narrowing of your coronary arteries due to plaque can stop or slow down the flow of to your heart. When the arteries narrow, the amount of oxygen-rich blood is decreased. This is called coronary heart disease (CHD). Large plaque areas can lead to chest pain called angina (an-JI-nuh or AN-juh-nuh). Angina happens when the heart does not receive enough oxygen-rich blood. Angina is a common symptom of CHD. Some plaques have a thin covering and can burst (rupture), releasing cholesterol and fat into the bloodstream.
The release may cause your blood to clot (and study has also proved that cholesterol drugs can reduce blood clots). A clot can block the blood flow. This blockage can cause angina or a heart attack. Lowering your cholesterol level decreases your chance for having a plaque burst and cause a heart attack. Cholesterol lowering drugs may also slow down, reduce, or even stop plaque from building up.
This disease on its own does not cause symptoms; so many people are unaware that their cholesterol level is too high. It can build up in the walls of your arteries. This build-up is called plaque (plak). Over time, plaque can cause narrowing of the arteries. This is called atherosclerosis (ath-er-o-skler-O-sis), or hardening of the arteries.
Special arteries, called coronary arteries, bring blood to the heart. Narrowing of your coronary arteries due to plaque can stop or slow down the flow of to your heart. When the arteries narrow, the amount of oxygen-rich blood is decreased. This is called coronary heart disease (CHD). Large plaque areas can lead to chest pain called angina (an-JI-nuh or AN-juh-nuh). Angina happens when the heart does not receive enough oxygen-rich blood. Angina is a common symptom of CHD. Some plaques have a thin covering and can burst (rupture), releasing cholesterol and fat into the bloodstream.
The release may cause your blood to clot (and study has also proved that cholesterol drugs can reduce blood clots). A clot can block the blood flow. This blockage can cause angina or a heart attack. Lowering your cholesterol level decreases your chance for having a plaque burst and cause a heart attack. Cholesterol lowering drugs may also slow down, reduce, or even stop plaque from building up.
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