Cholesterol is a kind of fat or lipid found in the body. It is present in every cell and is mainly produced by our liver. The body needs cholesterol to make bile salts, hormones and vitamin D. But excessive cholesterol in the blood stream can lead to atherosclerosis which is narrowing down and hardening of the arteries. The result may be high blood pressure, clogged arteries, blood clots, heart attacks and strokes.
Hazards of high cholesterol levels
Cholesterol deposits itself on the artery walls when the level of cholesterol in the blood is high. There are 2 main types of blood cholesterol: Low-density lipoproteins (LDL) (the "Bad" cholesterol) and High-density lipoproteins (HDL) (the "Good" cholesterol). LDLs are bad because they are the ones responsible for deposit of plaque on the walls of arteries. A mass of plaque reduces the diameter of the artery and thereby restricts flow of blood through it. Then one day, the plaque ruptures and a blood clot forms, thereby cutting off the flow of blood, oxygen and nutrientsto the heart or brain. The good HDLs, on the other hand, take excess cholesterol away and carry it back to the liver to be excreted. They can also remove some of the cholesterol already deposited on the artery walls. Therefore high levels of HDL in the blood can help to decrease the risk of heart disease.
The safe zone for cholesterol is taken as given below