Dr Lalitha Badul
Cholesterol is a soft, waxy, fatty substance in the blood, which plays an important role in cell membranes and hormones.
Your liver produces all the cholesterol your body needs, but when you eat too many foods that are high in saturated fats and cholesterol (mostly animal foods) it can make your blood cholesterol levels rise.
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A high blood cholesterol level can slowly build up in the inner walls of arteries. If left unchecked, it can eventually form plaques – a thick hard deposit that can narrow arteries and make them less flexible.
This process is called atherosclerosis. If a clot forms and blocks a narrowed artery that feeds the heart or brain, it can result in a heart attack or stroke. High cholesterol is one of the most important risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
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What causes high cholesterol?
The most common cause of high cholesterol is too much saturated fat in the diet. Other causes include an underactive thyroid gland, chronic kidney failure or alcohol abuse.
Some people have naturally high blood cholesterol levels, due to a rare hereditary condition called familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH). So why wait, get tested today.
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