Health Resource Center
Cholesterol & Heart Disease
Aug 20th 2008
Cholesterol is a fatty
wax-like substance. It is not fat but is contained in many fatty foods;
especially the fat in meat, eggs and dairy products although other sources do
exists. Cholesterol is manufactured in the body as well. It is a
necessary component of many normal structures in the body.
Unfortunately, many scientific studies have shown that as blood cholesterol
levels get higher, so does the risk for heart attack.
The amount of
cholesterol circulating in the blood is what is measured with a “cholesterol
blood test”. This measures the cholesterol “manufactured” in the
body as well as the cholesterol absorbed from food in the diet. The total
cholesterol is actually a measure of cholesterol contained within several
different types of particles, called “lipoproteins” that carry
cholesterol. These different lipoproteins carry cholesterol in the
circulation as it cycles through the body. These particles carry
cholesterol from the liver (where cholesterol is made) and from the gut (where
cholesterol is absorbed from food) to the tissues (where it is used) and back
to the liver (where it is removed). Each particle has a specific activity
in the cholesterol cycle. Although this is a complex system, in general,
LDL (low density lipoprotein), often called “bad cholesterol” is the particle
most associated with the development of atherosclerosis
and HDL (high density lipoprotein) is the particle that helps “clear
cholesterol” from the blood carrying it to the liver for removal. HDL is
commonly considered “good cholesterol” since the higher the level of HDL, the
lower the risk of developing atherosclerosis related disease. There are
other particles that also carry cholesterol. These are also usually
measured during a blood test, do contribute to the “total cholesterol” measured
and do increase the risk of atherosclerosis to varying degrees. Currently,
however, the recommendations for treatment focus on lowering the level of LDL
since it seems to be most responsible for the bad effects seen with increased
cholesterol. Raising HDL levels, on the other hand, is a goal of
treatment since it “removes” cholesterol and lowers the risk of heart and
vascular disease. Unfortunately, this is more difficult to accomplish
although it is an area of active research.
