Cholesterol travels by way of your bloodstream in small packages referred to as lipoproteins (lip-o-PRO-teens). These packages are fabricated from fats (lipid) on the within and proteins on the skin.
Two sorts of lipoproteins carry cholesterol all through your physique: low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and high-density lipoproteins (HDL). Having wholesome ranges of each kinds of lipoproteins is necessary.
LDL cholesterol typically is known as “unhealthy” cholesterol. A excessive LDL degree results in a buildup of ldl cholesterol in your arteries. (Arteries are blood vessels that carry blood out of your coronary heart to your physique.)
HDL cholesterol typically is known as “good” cholesterol. It's because it carries cholesterol from different elements of your physique again to your liver. Your liver removes the cholesterol out of your physique.
What Is High Blood Cholesterol?
Excessive blood ldl cholesterol is a situation during which you may have an excessive amount of ldl cholesterol in your blood. By itself, the situation normally has no indicators or signs. Thus, many individuals don’t know that their levels of cholesterol are too excessive.
Individuals who have excessive blood ldl cholesterol have a larger likelihood of getting coronary coronary heart illness, additionally referred to as coronary artery illness. (On this article, the time period “coronary heart illness” refers to coronary coronary heart illness.)
The upper the extent of LDL cholesterol in your blood, the GREATER your likelihood is of getting coronary heart illness. The upper the extent of HDL cholesterol in your blood, the LOWER your likelihood is of getting coronary heart illness.
Coronary coronary heart illness is a situation during which plaque (plak) builds up contained in the coronary (coronary heart) arteries. Plaque is made up of cholesterol, fats, calcium, and different substances discovered within the blood. When plaque builds up within the arteries, the situation is known as atherosclerosis (ATH-er-o-skler-O-sis).
Atherosclerosis
Determine A exhibits the situation of the center within the physique. Determine B exhibits a traditional coronary artery with regular blood circulate. The inset picture exhibits a cross-section of a traditional coronary artery. Determine C exhibits a coronary artery narrowed by plaque. The buildup of plaque limits the circulate of oxygen-rich blood by way of the artery. The inset picture exhibits a cross-section of the plaque-narrowed artery.
Over time, plaque hardens and narrows your coronary arteries. This limits the circulate of oxygen-rich blood to the center.
Finally, an space of plaque can rupture (break open). This causes a blood clot to type on the floor of the plaque. If the clot turns into giant sufficient, it will possibly largely or utterly block blood circulate by way of a coronary artery.
If the circulate of oxygen-rich blood to your coronary heart muscle is lowered or blocked, angina (an-JI-nuh or AN-juh-nuh) or a coronary heart assault might happen.
Angina is chest ache or discomfort. It could really feel like stress or squeezing in your chest. The ache additionally might happen in your shoulders, arms, neck, jaw, or again. Angina ache might even really feel like indigestion.
A coronary heart assault happens if the circulate of oxygen-rich blood to a piece of coronary heart muscle is reduce off. If blood circulate isn’t restored shortly, the part of coronary heart muscle begins to die. With out fast therapy, a coronary heart assault can result in critical issues or dying.
Plaque can also construct up in different arteries in your physique, such because the arteries that deliver oxygen-rich blood to your mind and limbs. This will result in issues similar to carotid artery illness, stroke, and peripheral artery illness.
Outlook
Reducing your ldl cholesterol might gradual, cut back, and even cease the buildup of plaque in your arteries. It additionally might cut back the chance of plaque rupturing and inflicting harmful blood clots
The picture focuses on excessive cholesterol in girls and explains how excessive cholesterol will increase the chance of creating coronary heart illness. An estimated 1 in 2 girls has excessive or borderline excessive cholesterol. The picture additionally lists the ranges of whole ldl cholesterol numbers for top, borderline excessive, and fascinating levels of cholesterol, and breaks down the proportion of ladies who've excessive cholesterol of their twenties, thirties, forties, and fifties.
source: NIH