Cholesterol – Definition

Transcript

In our body, we have cholesterol. But cholesterol can be broken down to many different particles. The general particles that doctors talk to patients about are the good cholesterol and the bad cholesterol. The good cholesterol is HDL, high density lipoprotein, and the bad cholesterol is LDL, low density lipoproteins. The LDL is what contributes to oxidative damage, which damages the wall of the blood vessel. That’s progressive. That leads to progressive plaque buildup over time. And the HDL is actually the antioxidant that reduces that oxidative damage over time. So it’s really important for patients to have controlled bad cholesterol, a low LDL level, but also to have a good, healthy high HDL level that is protective over time.