Cholesterol what does it mean

Ride your bike to work. You could even participate in a team sport. Aim to get 30 minutes of activity every day. If you have high cholesterol, you may need to make some lifestyle changes. If you smoke, quit.

Exercise regularly. Make sure to eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fish. If you have high cholesterol, you are twice as likely to develop heart disease.

That is why it is important to have your cholesterol levels checked, especially if you have a family history of heart disease. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Cholesterol. This article was contributed by: familydoctor. This information provides a general overview and may not apply to everyone. Talk to your family doctor to find out if this information applies to you and to get more information on this subject.

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Your ideal cholesterol level will depend on your risk for heart disease. LDL cholesterol levels — less than is best, but this depends on your risk for heart disease. HDL cholesterol levels — 60 or higher reduces your risk for heart disease. It can also run in families. You can lower your cholesterol by eating healthily and getting more exercise. Some people also need to take medicine. Too much cholesterol can block your blood vessels.

It makes you more likely to have heart problems or a stroke. The two main lipoproteins responsible for transporting cholesterol are low-density lipoprotein LDL and high-density lipoprotein HDL.

Too much LDL cholesterol leads to fatty buildups that clog arteries — atherosclerosis. Narrows arteries make it difficult for blood to travel through the body, and it makes your heart work harder to pump blood. Excess LDL cholesterol increases your risk for heart disease, heart attack, stroke, peripheral artery disease. Research shows a correlation between higher HDL levels and a lower risk for heart disease. High-density lipoproteins help carry LDL cholesterol through the blood and back to the liver.

The liver then breaks down LDL cholesterol, allowing the body to remove it as waste.