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Cholesterol And Its Effects On The Health Of Your Heart

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Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that travels through our blood stream in small packages called Lipoproteins. There are two different types of lipoproteins that carry cholesterol through your body; low-density lipoproteins (LDL), “bad” cholesterol, and high-density lipoproteins (HDL), “good” cholesterol. (1) Our body’s make all the cholesterol we need, however it is also found in food we eat, therefore making, maintaining a good cholesterol level difficult for some people. When one talks about cholesterol most think about the health of your heart, while this is very important, cholesterol has other important bodily functions as well, such as, hormone production, cell membrane support, and bile production.
LDL is known as “bad” cholesterol because it contributes to a thick, hard deposit that can clog arteries and make them less flexible, known as plaque. If the plaque builds and forms a clot that blocks a narrowed artery, one could develop a condition called peripheral artery disease, which is when plaque buildup narrows an artery supplying blood to the legs. One could also be diagnosed with atherosclerosis, this is a condition that is caused by a clot that blocks a narrowed artery that can result in a stroke or even a heart attack. (2)
HDL is considered “good” cholesterol because it helps to remove LDL cholesterol from the arteries. HDL carries the LDL cholesterol away from the arteries, back to the liver, where it is broken down and passed through the body. Nearly

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