This condition is known as atherosclerosis . If a clot blocks the flow of blood to part of the brain, the result is a stroke. Lower levels of LDL cholesterol reflect a lower risk of heart disease. Medical experts think HDL tends to carry cholesterol away from the arteries and back to the liver, where it's passed from the body. Some experts believe HDL removes excess cholesterol from atherosclerotic plaques and thus slows their growth.
People get cholesterol in two ways.
Typically the body makes all the cholesterol it needs, so people don't need to consume it. Saturated fatty acids are the chief culprit in raising blood cholesterol, which increases your risk of heart disease. But dietary cholesterol also plays a part. Some of the excess dietary cholesterol is removed from the body through the liver. Still, the American Heart Association recommends that you limit your average daily cholesterol intake to less than 300 milligrams.