![]() Total cholesterol is VLDL cholesterol plus LDL cholesterol plus HDL cholesterol.Very low density lipoprotein, or VLDL cholesterol, is another type, which is a precursor to LDL. LDL cholesterol: LDL stands for “low-density lipoprotein.” This is known as the “bad” cholesterol, which directly contributes to plaque buildup in the arteries.Your total cholesterol level is a measure of the total amount of cholesterol circulating in your bloodstream, which includes several components: This is the major cause of heart attacks, strokes and other vascular problems. These deposits are called plaques and result in atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. ![]() Excess bad cholesterol in the bloodstream can deposit into the body’s arteries. So some cholesterol is necessary - but bad cholesterol is something you can do without. It’s also used to make bile acids in the liver these absorb fat during digestion. Your body needs cholesterol to make important steroid hormones such as estrogen, progesterone and vitamin D. It’s either made by the body or absorbed from food. But what is cholesterol, anyway? Where does it come from? And is it all bad?Ĭholesterol is a waxy substance that is found in every cell in the body. Understanding the Highs and Lows of Cholesterol Knowing your cholesterol numbers and how to control them is a big step toward staying healthy. ![]() ![]() This is a problem because women’s cholesterol levels can fluctuate quite a bit after menopause and tend to increase with age, putting us at greater risk of heart disease and stroke. Scarier still: Triglycerides, a type of blood fat typically measured alongside cholesterol, are even more risky in women compared with men. “Approximately 45 percent of women over the age of 20 have a total cholesterol of 200 mg/dl and above, which is considered elevated - but a survey by the American Heart Association found that 76 percent of women say they don’t even know what their cholesterol values are,” Michos says. What’s more, many women are at risk for high cholesterol and don’t realize it. ![]()
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