People over 65 should receive cholesterol tests annually. If your test results aren't within desirable ranges, your doctor might recommend more-frequent measurements. Your doctor might also suggest more-frequent tests if you have a family history of high cholesterol, heart disease or other risk factors, such as diabetes or high blood pressure.
Cholesterol is carried through your blood, attached to proteins. This combination of proteins and cholesterol is called a lipoprotein. There are different types of cholesterol, based on what the lipoprotein carries. They are:. A lipid profile also typically measures triglycerides, a type of fat in the blood.
Having a high triglyceride level also can increase your risk of heart disease. Factors you can control — such as inactivity, obesity and an unhealthy diet — contribute to harmful cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
Factors beyond your control might play a role, too. For example, your genetic makeup might make it more difficult for your body to remove LDL cholesterol from your blood or break it down in the liver. Cholesterol levels can also be worsened by some types of medications you may be taking for other health problems, such as:. If you have too many cholesterol particles in your blood, cholesterol may accumulate on your artery walls.
Eventually, deposits called plaques may form. The deposits may narrow — or block — your arteries. These plaques can also burst, causing a blood clot to form. High cholesterol can cause a dangerous accumulation of cholesterol and other deposits on the walls of your arteries atherosclerosis. These deposits plaques can reduce blood flow through your arteries, which can cause complications, such as:.
The same heart-healthy lifestyle changes that can lower your cholesterol can help prevent you from having high cholesterol in the first place. To help prevent high cholesterol, you can:. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview Cholesterol is a waxy substance found in your blood. Food contains cholesterol, yes. But here is why you no longer need to worry about high-cholesterol foods.
Learn more about vaccine availability. Advertising Policy. You have successfully subscribed to our newsletter. Related Articles. Is Sugar Bad for Your Heart? How to Lower Your Triglycerides Naturally. Low-density lipoproteins LDL carry cholesterol from the liver to the rest of the body.
Cells latch onto these particles and extract fat and cholesterol from them. When there is too much LDL cholesterol in the blood, these particles can form deposits in the walls of the coronary arteries and other arteries throughout the body.
Such deposits, called plaque, can narrow arteries and limit blood flow. When plaque breaks apart, it can cause a heart attack or stroke. Because of this, LDL cholesterol is often referred to as bad, or harmful, cholesterol. High-density lipoproteins HDL scavenge cholesterol from the bloodstream, from LDL, and from artery walls and ferry it back to the liver for disposal.
Think of HDL as the garbage trucks of the bloodstream. HDL cholesterol is often referred to as good, or protective, cholesterol. Triglycerides make up most of the fat that you eat and that travels through the bloodstream. In general, the lower your LDL and the higher your HDL, the better your chances of preventing heart disease and other chronic conditions.
The types and amount of carbohydrate in the diet also play a role. Cholesterol in food matters, too, but not nearly as much. For most people, the amount of cholesterol eaten has only a modest impact on the amount of cholesterol circulating in the blood. Unfortunately, at this point there is no way other than by trial and error to identify responders from non-responders to dietary cholesterol.
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