Ocean County College: What Is Cholesterol?

There is a large set of differences between HDL and LDL, even they are both types of cholesterol. According to About.com, HDL is mostly composed with protein with small amounts of cholesterol. HDL has more protein in it than cholesterol This makes HDL more healthy, rather than being harmful to the body. LDL is a low density protein that is mainly composed of cholesterol. When LDL levels are too high, it can create major problems for the body. LDL has less nutrients and more cholesterol. HDL is known as the “good cholesterol”. HDL benefits the body by replacing the harmful substances in the body, giving it the reputation of the “good cholesterol”. LDL creates problems for the body, building plaque and making the body weak and feeble.

LDL carries plaque which attaches to the walls of arteries and beings to build up. The plaque is a combination of cholesterol, fat, calcium and other substances. As it builds up over time, it hardens and the arteries become narrow, a condition called atherosclerosis. The blood cannot flow as freely and oxygen cannot get throughout the body as it should. If the plaque ruptures or breaks open, a blood clot can form. If the clot becomes large enough, blood flow is impaired or blocked completely. You may experience extreme pressure or pain in the chest called angina or possible pain in the shoulders, jaw, arms, back, or the discomfort associated with indigestion. This is a heart attack. Heart damage or even death may result if blood flow is not quickly restored. However, arteries leading to other parts of the body can have plaque buildup resulting in strokes, carotid artery disease, and peripheral artery disease. On the other hand, if the HDL is higher, the risk for heart disease is lower.

In a study conducted in 1985 observing primates, it was determined that the major effect of dietary cholesterol is its LDL raising effects. High intakes of cholesterol increase the number of circulating LDL’s and it can also change its size and composition. [12] It was during this time period that the mechanisms by which SFA are thought to increase blood cholesterol concentrations came about. One mechanism for the increase in LDL cholesterol levels is the suppression of LDL receptor activity. Studies in tissue cultures have shown that increasing the cholesterol content of a cell will down-regulate synthesis of LDL receptors. [13] This will lead to an increase in concentration of blood cholesterol. Another cause for an increase in blood cholesterol concentration through intake of dietary SFA is the composition of the newly secreted lipoproteins. With a high saturated fat intake, the LDL’s become rich in cholesterol esters, leaving the triglycerides in the blood. [14] The use of non-human primates in

Cholesterol can build up on the inner walls of arteries forming thick hard plaque deposits that make the arteries less flexible and cause narrowing. This narrowing can cause a slowing of the blood flow to your heart. A reduced blood flow means less oxygen can get to your heart, and this is coronary heart disease. If a clot forms and blocks the artery,

2005), addition of cholesterol may affect cell survival and membrane fluidity. After cholesterol was added to the membranes of CHO cells and bull sperm, its effect on plasma membrane fluidity and cell survival were observed when cells were either cooled to 5°C or cryopreserved (Purdy et al. 2005).

Atherosclerotic research has recently concentrated on inflammatory cytokines involved in vascular inflammation and how they stimulate the production of endothelial adhesion molecules, which could enter circulation in soluble form, and have the cytokines stimulate the production of messenger cytokine interleukin-6, which incites the liver production of acute-phase reactants such as C-reactive protein to increase. (Packard et al., 2007) In short, cytokines released into the bloodstream have a tendency to bring about an inflammatory response. Researchers have also found that that treatment with lipid-reducing agents is correlated with reduced morbidity and mortality from coronary heart disease and it seems to work near the atherosclerotic lesion, causing stabilization, slowed progression and, in some cases, regression of lesions. (Blankenhorn, 1989) In research it is well know that one human risk factor for atherosclerosis is hypercholesterolemia, which is when total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol are elevated. (Genis et al., 2000) There are more contributors and characteristics of hypercholesterolemia, which include inflammatory responses to oxidative stress,

“Atherosclerotic coronary arterial obstruction is when there’s a build-up on the walls of the coronary arteries. This build-up of plaque or fatty deposits are called atheroma, it’s made up of cholesterol particles and other waste substances in the blood, which then begins to accumulate on the walls of the arteries that supply blood to the heart”[II]. ‘Cholesterol is a fat made by the liver from the saturated fat in your diet. Cholesterol is essential for healthy cells”. [IV] “Cholesterol is carried in the bloodstream by molecules called lipoproteins. There are several different types of lipoproteins, but two of the main ones are low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and high-density lipoproteins (HDL)” [IV]. These break up into particles and start to get imbedded to the walls of the arteries.

Our body naturally produces cholesterol through the liver, we can also obtain cholesterol from consumed products. We need small amounts of cholesterol to produce hormones, bile, and vitamin D. Cholesterol doesn’t dissolve in the bloodstream once it is inside the body. It needs to be carried by two types of lipoproteins called low density lipoproteins(LDL) and high density lipoproteins(HDL). The more cholesterol we consume, the more LDL and HDL we produce. HDL is

When your doctor talks to you about cholesterol, you might heart certain terms related to your cholesterol levels. Cholesterol is found in animal foods, such as chicken, meat, milk, eggs and cheese. Try to keep your total blood cholesterol under 200 mg/dL. LDL is known as the “bad” cholesterol, as heightened levels can damage your arteries and lead to a heart attack or stroke. Normally, LDL levels should be less than 130 mg/dL. However, a doctor might recommend levels as low as 70 for people with diabetes and/or heart disease.. HDL is referred to as “good cholesterol,” because it helps to keep the arteries open to help reduce the risk of heart disease. You can use an HDL testing kit at home to determine if your level are greater than 50 for men and more than 40 for women. Triglycerides are also a negative element, as they produce LDL and prevent HDL from removing it from your blood. Your triglycerides should be below 200 mg/dL. Talk to your doctor about ways to lower your cholesterol, such as diet, exercise and medication, such as

Regular exercise of just half an hour a day can raise good cholesterol and lower bad cholesterol. Limiting fats, especially saturated fats and trans fats will deal with the 15% of cholesterol that comes from outside the body. If those methods are tried and further cholesterol testing shows little improvement, then medicine can be added to the regimen. The whole cycle begins with cholesterol testing and can end with improved odds for a long, healthy

So based on my family history it is mostly likely that I myself will have it someday, unless I do things to prevent high cholesterol such as exercising and eating fruits and vegetables. The last main cause of high cholesterol is that it could be because of your gender and age an example would be that elderly men have a tendency of having a high cholesterol. There seems to be no history of high cholesterol or discovery of it in the past time due to my research. According to Dr Paulysney Guerrero the symptoms of high cholesterol involve "Dizziness, weakness, nauseas. However, some patients do not show any symptoms at all" Guerrero explains. Basically the only main way to tell is by having the person go through a blood examination. For example when the doctor had sent me to get a blood examination to see what my cholesterol level was (basically to see if I was healthy) I was sent to Labcorp and so they took some blood and so as a result my it was confirmed based on my blood examination that my blood was so far normal and that my cholesterol level was fine as well .Usually when the blood pressure is really high the treatment that is used immediately is medication in order to have the cholesterol at a well and balanced level. An example would be Alfonso Sanchez "when the doctor had discovered how severe my cholesterol was

ApoA-I synthesis occurs in human intestinal cells along with in the liver. Apolipoprotein (apo)A-I is a major protein component of high-density lipoproteins (HDL). Lipid poor ApoA-I interacts with ABCA-1, SR-B1 and ABCG1 to export free cholesterol (FC) and phospholipids (PL) from cells into the lipoprotein forming HDL. An important aspect of HDL is its role on the reverse cholesterol transport (RCT). In RCT, HDL exports free FC and PL from cells including macrophages in the arterial wall to the liver for excretion out of the body. This decreases sizes of plaques that form in our arterial wall which relates to an increase in cardiovascular health. Thus high levels of apoA-I in blood plasma relates to lower risk of coronary heart disease such

Therefore, cholesterol is wrapped in proteins forming lipoproteins to facilitate transport throughout the body. These lipoproteins can be classified as high density lipoproteins, HDLs or low density lipoproteins, LDLs. The HDLs carries cholesterol to liver to be excreted which prevent the accumulation of cholesterol in the body. Whereas, the LDLs transport cholesterol to cells to perform the functions describe above.

Cholesterol is needed by almost every cell in our bodies and is especially important for brain function. About 25% of our total body’s cholesterol is in our brain and the fatty myelin sheath that coats every nerve cell in our bodies is about 20% cholesterol. It is an important player in the production of sex and stress hormones and helps skill cells stay hydrated and maintain elasticity. It is also used by the body as a raw material in the healing process. In fact, the body will boost cholesterol production in response to a chronic infection or inflammation. The USDA removed the cholesterol dietary recommendation in 2015,

You may think having cholesterol in your body is a bad thing, but your body actually needs normal levels of cholesterol to keep you healthy. Cholesterol is a waxy, fatty substance that is found in every cell of your body. Cholesterol is especially abundant in your cell membranes (sheet-like structures that separate the inside of your cells from the outside environment) where it helps maintain the integrity of the membranes and allows your cells to communicate with each other. Your body also uses cholesterol to make hormones and bile salts. Bile salts are substances that are used in digestion to break down food. What might surprise you the most is that when you expose your skin to sunlight, cholesterol turns itself into vitamin D.