About Health

LDL Cholesterol

Cholesterol is an essential type of fat (lipid), manufactured by the liver, which helps the body produce hormones which protect nerve endings and build cell membranes. There are two types of cholesterol – high density lipoprotein (HDL), which is mostly made up of protein with a small amount of fat and protects your arteries from blockage and low density lipoprotein (LDL), which is mostly made up of fat and a small amount of protein. This is often referred to as ‘bad’ cholesterol.

While not a disease itself, having too much LDL cholesterol in your blood increases your risk of developing cardiovascular disease. The LDL cholesterol oxidates and sticks to your artery walls in the form of fatty deposits which over time gradually build up, narrowing and hardening your arteries (atherosclerosis). These fatty deposits are also sometimes known as 'plaques' or atheroma and are linked to other serious conditions such as coronary heart disease, angina, heart attack and stroke

A high cholesterol level may only be revealed if you have symptoms of atherosclerosis. These can include:

Angina, caused by narrowed coronary arteries in the heart
Leg pain on exercising, due to narrowing of the arteries that supply the lower limbs
Blood clots and ruptured blood vessels, which can result in a stroke or mini-stroke (transient ischaemic attack (TIA))
Ruptured plaques, which can lead to a blood clot forming in one of the arteries delivering blood to the heart (coronary thrombosis), and may lead to heart failure if a significant amount of heart muscle is damaged, and
Thick yellow patches (xanthomas) around the eyes or elsewhere on the skin. These are cholesterol deposits and can often be seen in people with inherited or familial cholesterol (where your family members have a history of high cholesterol)

There are many different factors that can cause your levels of LDL cholesterol to increase. These include:

Unhealthy diet – foods containing high levels of saturated fats
Lack of exercise or physical activity
Obesity
Smoking, and
Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol

There are also a number of treatable conditions that can cause high blood cholesterol. These include:

Hypertension (high blood pressure)
Diabetes
A high triglyceride blood level, and
Medical conditions, such as kidney and liver diseases, and an under-active thyroid gland

There are a number of fixed risk factors that can cause high blood cholesterol. These include:

A family history of heart disease or stroke - you are more likely to have high cholesterol if you have a close male relative (father or brother) aged under 55, or a female relative (mother or sister) aged under 65, who has been affected by coronary heart disease or stroke
A family history of cholesterol related condition for example, if a close relative, such as a parent, brother, or sister has familial hyperchloresterolaemia, or combined hyperlipidaemia
Age: the older you are, the greater the likelihood of developing atherosclerosis
Early menopause in women, and
Certain ethnic groups - people who are of Indian, Pakastani, Bangladeshi, or Sri Lankan descent have an increased risk of high blood cholesterol

If you have a fixed risk factor (or a number of fixed risk factors) it is even more important to ensure that you take steps to address any lifestyle, or treatable risk factors that you may also have.