Cholesterol

Cholesterol

LDL is a vital lipoprotein responsible for cholesterol transport within the blood through the body. However, high levels of LDL are likely to accumulate within the vessels’ walls where it is trapped and modified: this represents the beginning of the formation of a so-called “atherosclerotic plaque”. If the plaque gets too big it can partly block blood flow in your heart vessels, this can cause symptoms like “angina” (chest discomfort). An entirely blocked artery supplying the blood to the heart leads to a heart attack.

Very high LDL-cholesterol levels (> 5nmol/L) should lead to a further diagnosis, as familial hypercholesterolemia may be present. Lifestyle changes can decrease your LDL by about 10-15%. If that is not sufficient to reach the target values, medication may be added.

reference:
Healthy Heart.org. (2022) Cholesterol. Available at: https://www.healthy-heart.org/keep-your-heart-healthy/cholesterol/ (Accessed 12/11/2022)