Risk Factors Symptoms Tests Cholesterol Cholesterol is a substance carried in the blood, that when its levels become too high, can lead to problems such as arteriosclerosis, strokes, heart attacks and coronary artery disease.
Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance made by the liver found in every cell in the body.
It serves many important functions, like aiding in digestion and strengthening cell membranes. However, too much cholesterol can be dangerous to your health, since the body probably produces all the cholesterol that it needs. Extra cholesterol enters through foods high in saturated fats. Good and Bad Cholesterol Cholesterol is carried in the blood in packages called lipoproteins. There are two different kinds of cholesterol packages that physicians measure when they are monitoring your blood levels.