Total cholesterol

Cholesterol what is it?

Cholesterol is supplied to the body with food, and is also produced by the body itself. There are two fractions of cholesterol: the so-called good cholesterol and bad cholesterol.

It should be emphasized that cholesterol is not a harmful or toxic compound for the body, on the contrary! It is an important building block of cell membranes, the myelin sheath of nerves, bile acids, if it were not for it, it would not be possible to produce vitamin D or hormones.

Good cholesterol and bad cholesterol - what are the differences?

The fraction of total cholesterol consists of LDL cholesterol (so-called bad cholesterol) and HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol). Too high a level of the LDL fraction leads to the development of cardiovascular disease.

As a result of cholesterol deposition in the arterial wall (formation of atherosclerotic plaques), the lumen of the vessel narrows, resulting in impaired blood flow. With an increase in the concentration of LDL cholesterol in the blood, the risk of developing diseases - stroke, heart attack, atherosclerosis or hypertension - increases.

The risk of developing diseases - stroke, heart attack, atherosclerosis or hypertension - increases