Cholesterol and Heart Disease: How They Affect Your Heart and Health
How cholesterol, which is a waxy, fat-like thing that your body needs to make healthy cells, may affect your health and cholesterol. A short guide:
1. Cholesterol Basics: Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like thing that your body needs to make healthy cells¹. But, too much cholesterol can make your risk of heart disease higher¹. Cholesterol moves through your blood, stuck to proteins, making lipoproteins¹. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is called the “bad cholesterol,” because it makes the chance of heart problems higher¹. High-density lipoprotein (HDL), on the other hand, is called the “good cholesterol” because it lowers the chance¹.
2. What Happens When You Have Too Much Cholesterol: When you have too much cholesterol in your blood, it builds up in the walls of your arteries, causing a thing called atherosclerosis, a kind of heart disease⁴. The arteries get narrow and blood flow to the heart muscle is slow or blocked¹. Sometimes, these lumps can break suddenly and make a clot that causes a heart attack or stroke¹.
3. How to Prevent and Treat High Cholesterol: High cholesterol can be passed down, but it’s often because of bad lifestyle choices, which make it possible to prevent and treat¹. A good diet, regular exercise, and sometimes pills can help make high cholesterol lower¹.
4. How to Know If You Have High Cholesterol: High cholesterol has no signs, so a blood test is the only way to find out if you have it¹. Regular cholesterol checks are important, especially if you have a family history of high cholesterol, heart disease, or other problems, like diabetes or high blood pressure¹.
In summary, high cholesterol is a bad thing that can cause heart disease and stroke. But, with changing your habits and medical help, it can be controlled well.
(Note: This is a general guide and different people might need different things. Always talk to a doctor for advice that is right for you.)
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