What Is Cholesterol?

• Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that is found in all cells of the body. Your body
  needs some cholesterol to work the right way and your body makes all the cholesterol it
  needs.
• Your body uses cholesterol to make hormones, vitamin D, and substances that help you
  digest foods.
• Cholesterol is also found in some of the foods you eat.
• Blood is watery, and cholesterol is fatty. Just like oil and water, the two do not mix. To
  travel in the bloodstream, cholesterol is carried in small packages called lipoproteins.
  Two kinds of lipoproteins carry cholesterol throughout your body. It is important to have
  healthy levels of both:
  • Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is sometimes called “bad” cholesterol. High LDL cholesterol leads to a buildup of cholesterol in arteries.
  • High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol is sometimes called “good” cholesterol. HDL carries cholesterol from other parts of your body back to your liver, where it is removed from your body. The higher your HDL cholesterol level, the lower your chance of getting heart disease.
  • Triglycerides are another form of fat in your blood.

Why is Cholesterol Important?

Too much cholesterol in the blood, or high blood cholesterol, can be serious. People with
high blood cholesterol have a greater chance of getting heart disease. High blood cholesterol
on its own does not cause symptoms, so many people are unaware that their cholesterol
level is too high.

Cholesterol can build up on the walls of your arteries (blood vessels that carry blood from
the heart to other parts of the body). This buildup of cholesterol is called plaque. Over time,
plaque can cause narrowing of the arteries. Lowering cholesterol may also slow down,
reduce, or even stop plaque from building up.