“So… what is cholesterol after all?”
It is a fatty substance your liver produces in order to promote the formation of cell membranes, vitamin D, and several hormones. However, it can’t do it all by itself. Cholesterol is unable to take a trip through your blood on its own, that’s when lipoproteins enter the ring. As the name suggests, they are basically particles made from protein and fat.
These particles carry cholesterol and triglycerides through your bloodstream. And… if you’ve ever wondered what LDL and HDL actually mean, note that the first one stands for low-density lipoproteins and the latter, high-density lipoprotein.
Too much LDL cholesterol in your blood is bad news. When left untreated, LDL cholesterol a.k.a. “bad cholesterol” can cause cholesterol plaque inside the arterial walls. This can eventually lead to many health issues such as stroke and heart attack, and, unfortunately, patients are asymptomatic until it’s too late. It is crucial to get your cholesterol levels checked periodically.
