Why LDL Cholesterol Is “Bad”
High cholesterol is blamed for a myriad of problems, including heart disease, heart attacks, and stroke. This is mainly because high cholesterol can cause the arteries to thicken, which in turn leads to a variety of coronary problems.
Usually, if you have a problem with high cholesterol, your doctor will suggest some changes to your diet as well as some cardiovascular exercise. In some cases, you may also be prescribed a medication to help lower your cholesterol. Here is a look at what cholesterol does, particularly in reference to LDL cholesterol and the reasons why it is considered to be so bad for you.
Your liver produces cholesterol naturally. This is because cholesterol is needed for numerous functions throughout the body, including the creation of hormones and the building of cells. When cholesterol is present in normal levels, it merely does what it is supposed to do.
The problem occurs when you have an excess amount of cholesterol, since that is when it becomes a problems and cause the cardiovascular effects. Several factors play a role in why your cholesterol may be high, but many times it comes from eating foods that are high in cholesterol. The most common foods that include cholesterol are animal products like meat, milk, and cheese.
Like the other components of the food you eat, cholesterol is transported throughout the body in your bloodstream. Unlike many vitamins and minerals, however, cholesterol is not soluble in the blood, so it needs a carrier to get it where it needs to go. In the case of cholesterol, the carriers are lipoproteins.
There are several types of lipoproteins in the body that can transport cholesterol. However, the main one that causes all of the concern is low density lipoprotein, or LDL. LDL cholesterol is often known as the “bad” cholesterol, as when it is in the body in too high amounts it has a tendency to stick to the walls of your arteries. When this happens, it becomes a condition known as atherosclerosis. As more and more LDL cholesterol begins to accumulate along the walls of the arteries, it hardens into plaque.
As the plaque thickens and develops, the amount of blood that can flow through the arteries is dramatically decreased. This can often be seen as an increase in blood pressure for many patients, and often; marks the start of other heart conditions. Left untreated for long enough, the plaque can become so bad that it blocks of the artery either from the thickness itself or from a small clot breaking free that creates a plug. Depending on where in the body this occurs, you could suffer from a heart attack or stroke.
In order to prevent this from happening, you have to keep an eye on your LDL cholesterol levels. Your doctor can do a blood test to see where your current levels are and if you have any cause for concern. You can also look at making changes to your diet to help both lower LDL cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol.
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