Cholesterol is both our friend and foe - at normal levels, it is an essential substance for the body's normal functioning, but if levels in the blood get too high, it becomes a silent danger that puts us at risk of a heart attack.
Cholesterol is found in every cell of the body and has important natural functions. It is manufactured by the body but can also be taken in from food. It is waxy and fat-like in appearance.
Cholesterol is oil-based and so does not mix with the blood, which is water-based. It is therefore carried around the body in the blood by lipoproteins.
The parcels of cholesterol are carried by two types of lipoprotein:
Low-density lipoprotein (LDL - cholesterol carried by this type is known as 'bad' cholesterol)High-density lipoprotein (HDL - cholesterol carried by this type is known as 'good' cholesterol).
Cholesterol has four main functions, without which we could not live.
It contributes to the structure of cell walls, makes up digestive bile acids in the intestine, allows the body to produce vitamin D and enables the body to make certain hormones.
Causes of high cholesterol
High cholesterol is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease, a cause of heart attacks, and reducing blood lipid levels lowers the cardiovascular risk.
High levels of LDL lead to a build-up of cholesterol in the arteries, whereas HDL carries cholesterol to the liver for removal from the body. A build-up of cholesterol is part of the process that narrows arteries, called atherosclerosis, in which plaques form and cause restriction of blood flow.
High cholesterol levels are a result of modifiable and non modifiable risk factors. Two major risk factors, diet and exercise, are highly modifiable, meaning that something can be done to change these risk factors and reduce the likelihood of having high cholesterol.
Being overweight or obese can also lead to higher blood LDL levels, with regular exercise helpful in managing this risk factor.
The primary causes of high cholesterol are genetic - very high LDL levels are found in the inherited condition familial hypercholesterolemia.
Abnormal cholesterol levels may also be secondary to the following:
Diabetes, Liver or kidney disease, Polycystic ovary syndrome, Pregnancy and other conditions that increase levels of female hormones, Underactive thyroid gland and Drugs that increase LDL cholesterol and decrease HDL cholesterol (progestins, anabolic steroids and corticosteroids).
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