The second event is called thrombosis . This is when a large blood clot forms in the vessel, sometimes as a result of the rupture of an atherosclerotic plaque, stopping the blood supply from reaching the heart. This is a heart attack. Certain dietary factors can increase or decrease this tendency. For example eating oily fish regularly.
Cholesterol is a type of fat that is essential for the body in small amounts.
It is produced in the liver and some is also obtained from the diet. It is a constituent of cells, e.g. brain cells. The lipoproteins also contain other types of fat. The level of cholesterol in the blood depends partly on genetic factors but diet is also important. The three most important factors are smoking, high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol .