High cholesterol is not something we come down with, like the cold or the flu. Nor is it merely part of the food we eat. Rather, it’s a condition that arises from the complex interaction between how we eat and live and how our bodies react to those choices.
How Cholesterol Works and What Those Numbers Mean
Only one quarter of blood cholesterol is actually ingested as dietary cholesterol, like the cholesterol in eggs or in shrimp. The other three quarters of cholesterol is produced in the liver and, once linked with carrier proteins known as lipoproteins, flows throughout the body in the bloodstream along with dietary cholesterol. Too much cholesterol, however, has a tendency to build up in the arteries as plaque, slowing or blocking blood flow. The buildup of plaque can occur throughout the body’s arteries, but it’s most evident when it occurs in the coronary arteries, not allowing enough blood to get to the heart. This can lead to heart disease, the greatest long-term risk of high cholesterol.
This article continues at Cholesterol in Seniors