I’m sure you have heard of good and bad cholesterol, but did you ever wonder why that is?
Here’s why:
Cholesterol travels through your blood on proteins called “lipoproteins”. There are 2 such proteins in your body- LDL and HDL.
- LDL (low-density lipoproteins), sometimes called “bad” cholesterol. High levels of LDL cholesterol raise your risk for heart disease and stroke
- HDL (high-density lipoproteins), otherwise known as “good” cholesterol can instead lower these risks.
LDL cholesterol transports cholesterol AWAY from your heart towards your peripheral tissues. If elevated, these lipids can deposit in your smaller arteries leading to plaque formation and narrowing of your blood vessels.
This is the hallmark of atherosclerosis and through a reduction of blood flow, this could lead to serious conditions such as a stroke or an acute myocardial infarction (heart attack). This is why LDL is considered to be the “bad” cholesterol.
HDL cholesterol, on the other hand, carries cholesterol away from your arteries back to the liver, which then tries to remove cholesterol from your body. HDL helps rid your body of excess cholesterol and can be thought of as a ‘scavenger’. This is why HDL is considered to be the “good” cholesterol.
The only way to find out your cholesterol levels is through a fasting blood test. If you are found to have high levels of bad cholesterol, your doctor could advise you on the management options.
The basic principles are to stop smoking, eat a healthy diet and to exercise regularly. There are also pharmacological options to lower your cholesterol; called statins. Please discuss this with your doctor as the management and the cholesterol targets need to be individualized based on your medical history.
