Cholesterol - what is it?

Cholesterol is a soft, waxy, fat-like substance the body needs for cells to grow and regenerate. Cholesterol comes from two sources: your body and the foods you eat. The body manufactures its own cholesterol in the liver, and it only takes a small amount of cholesterol in the blood to meet its needs. However, because cholesterol can be found in foods such as red meats, whole milk dairy foods, and egg yolks, eating too much dietary cholesterol can make your blood cholesterol levels increase. Too much cholesterol circulating in the bloodstream is known as hypercholesterolemia.

Hypercholesterolemia increases the risk of heart disease because it can lead to atherosclerosis, a condition in which fat and cholesterol are deposited on the walls of the arteries. Atherosclerosis can occur in arteries throughout the body, including the coronary arteries feeding the heart. In time, narrowing of the coronary arteries by atherosclerosis can produce the signs and symptoms of heart disease, including angina (chest pain) and heart attacks.

High Cholesterol - what does it mean?

With cholesterol testing at health fairs and drug stores, and with a breakdown of fat and cholesterol counts on all the packaged food we eat, you are probably well aware of the relationship between high cholesterol and heart disease. Yet, heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States; and you may not always eat the healthy, low-cholesterol diet that you should.

Because of the important relationship between high cholesterol and heart disease, all adults over the age of 20 years should have a fasting lipoprotein profile [a complete cholesterol profile--includes measuring total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein(LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL)] checked at least every 5 years. This should occur more often if a family history of coronary heart disease exists. Most children do not need to have their blood cholesterol level checked.