The Basics
What is cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a waxy substance (material) that is naturally found in your body.
Your body needs cholesterol to do important things, like make hormones and digest fatty foods. Your body makes all of the cholesterol it needs. Cholesterol is also in some foods, like egg yolks, fatty meats, and regular cheese.
If you have too much cholesterol in your body, it can build up inside your blood vessels and make it hard for blood to flow. Over time, this can lead to heart disease and heart attack.
What could raise my cholesterol levels?
Many things can lead to too much cholesterol in your body, like:
- Family history – high cholesterol can run in families.
- Age – as you get older, your cholesterol levels go up.
- Weight – being overweight or obese.
- Eating habits – eating too much saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol.
- Physical activity – not getting enough physical activity.
There are no signs or symptoms of high cholesterol. That’s why it’s so important to get your cholesterol levels checked.
