Being overweight also contributes to this tendency. Whilst cholesterol is an essential for normal health we know that excess levels of cholesterol cause disease in blood vessels. Excess cholesterol is deposited in the walls of blood vessels and eventually they become narrowed causing obstruction to blood flow. Eventually, further narrowing or a blood clot will lead to blockage of the blood vessel and the end result is a stroke, a heart attack or an amputated leg. Actually these descriptions refer to the substances, called lipoproteins, that carry cholesterol throughout the body in the bloodstream.
Lipoproteins are a combination of varying amounts of fats and proteins.
HDLs remove excess cholesterol from the body by transporting it to the liver where it is disposed of. Therefore, higher levels of HDLs are associated with lower rates of heart disease. You can increase your HDL by exercising. LDLs carry cholesterol in the blood to body cells. High levels of LDLs are usually associated with an elevated total blood cholesterol and an increased risk of heart disease due to cholesterol and fat being deposited in the arteries, causing narrowing of the arteries.