What is 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 liver makes all the cholesterol you need. The remainder of the cholesterol in your body comes from foods derived from animals. For instance, dietary cholesterol is present in foods like beef, poultry, and full-fat dairy products.

If you have too much cholesterol in your blood, it can combine with other substances to form plaque. Plaque sticks to the walls of your arteries. This buildup of plaque is known as atherosclerosis. When your coronary (heart) arteries become constricted or even obstructed, it can cause coronary artery disease.

What are HDL, LDL, and VLDL?

HDL, LDL, and VLDL are lipoproteins. They are a combination of fat (lipid) and protein. The lipids need to be attached to the proteins so they can move through the blood. Different types of lipoproteins have different purposes:

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

VLDL stands for very low-density lipoprotein. Some people also call VLDL a “bad” cholesterol because it too contributes to the buildup of plaque in your arteries. But VLDL and LDL are different; VLDL mainly carries triglycerides and LDL mainly carries cholesterol.

What causes high cholesterol?

The most common cause of high cholesterol is an unhealthy lifestyle. This can include:

• Unhealthy eating habits: Saturated fat, is found in some meats, dairy products, chocolate, baked goods, deep-fried, and processed foods. Another type, trans fat, is also in some fried and processed foods. Eating these fats can raise your LDL (bad) cholesterol.
• Lack of physical activity: A lot of sitting and little to no exercise, lowers your HDL (good) cholesterol.
• Smoking: Lowers HDL cholesterol, especially in women. It also raises your LDL cholesterol.
• Genetics may also cause people to have high cholesterol. For example, familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is an inherited form of high cholesterol. Other medical conditions and certain medicines may also cause high cholesterol.

How can I lower my cholesterol?

You can lower your cholesterol through heart-healthy lifestyle changes. They include a heart-healthy eating plan, weight management, and regular physical activity.

If the lifestyle changes alone do not lower your cholesterol enough, you may also need to take medicines. There are several types of cholesterol-lowering drugs available, including statins. If you take medicines to lower your cholesterol, you still should continue with the lifestyle changes.