Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that's found in all the cells in your body. Your body needs some cholesterol to make hormones, vitamin D, and substances that help you digest foods. Your body makes all the cholesterol it needs. Cholesterol is also found in foods from animal sources, such as egg yolks, meat, and cheese.

What are LDL, HDL, and VLDL?

There are different types of cholesterol:

HDL stands for high-density lipoprotein. It is called the "good" cholesterol because it carries cholesterol from other parts of your body back to your liver. Your liver then removes the cholesterol from your body.

LDL stands for low-density lipoprotein. It is called the "bad" cholesterol because a high LDL level leads to the buildup of plaque in your arteries.

VLDL stands for very low-density lipoprotein. It is also a "bad" cholesterol because it too contributes to the buildup of plaque in your arteries. But VLDL and LDL are different; VLDL carries triglycerides and LDL carries cholesterol.

Symptoms

Often, there are no symptoms that specifically relate to high cholesterol. So you could have high cholesterol and not know it.

If you have high cholesterol, your body may store the extra cholesterol in your arteries. Your arteries are blood vessels that carry blood from your heart to the rest of your body. Buildup of cholesterol in your arteries is known as plaque. Over time, plaque can become hard and make your arteries narrow. Large deposits of plaque can completely block an artery. Cholesterol plaques can also split open, leading to formation of a blood clot that blocks the flow of blood.

If an artery that supplies blood to the muscles in your heart becomes blocked, you could have a heart attack. If an artery that supplies blood to your brain becomes blocked, you could have a stroke.

Many people don’t discover that they have high cholesterol until they suffer one of these life-threatening events.

How is high cholesterol diagnosed?

There are usually no signs or symptoms that you have high cholesterol. There is a blood test to measure your cholesterol level. When and how often you should get this test depends on your age, risk factors, and family history.

Visit : www.iandmydoctor.com

Call -2813035678

Address: 2225 Williams Trace Blvd, Ste 109, Sugar Land, TX 77478

#cholestrol #doctornearme #physiciannearme #familydoctor #familyphysician #walkinclinic #familyclinic #physicianinsugarland #doctorinsugarland #drnearme #DOTPhysical