Cholesterol comes from two sources. It's produced in your body, mostly in the liver. And it's found in foods that come from animals, such as meats, poultry, fish, seafood and dairy products. Too much cholesterol in your blood increases your risk of heart attack. So the more you know about cholesterol and how to control it, the better your chances of avoiding a heart attack.
Heart attacks claim almost half a million American lives every year.
Cholesterol and your Arteries Cholesterol travels to the body's cells through the bloodstream. But cholesterol and other fats can't dissolve in the blood, so they have to be transported to and from the cells by special carriers called lipoproteins . Some LDL-cholesterol is used by the liver and some is used by the tissues to form cell membranes and other products. When a person has too much LDL-cholesterol circulating in the blood, it can slowly build up within the walls of the arteries feeding the heart and brain. HDL is produced mostly in the liver and is also released into the bloodstream.