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Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance found in all cells of the body. The body uses cholesterol to make hormones, vitamin D and substances that help digest food. To travel in the bloodstream cholesterol is carried in small packages called lipoproteins, which are made of fat on the inside and proteins on the outside. Two kinds of lipoproteins carry cholesterol throughout your body: low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, or bad cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or good cholesterol.
People with too much cholesterol in the blood, or high blood cholesterol, have a greater chance of developing coronary artery disease. Cholesterol can build up on the walls of your arteries and form plaque. Over time, plaque can cause narrowing of the arteries, known as atherosclerosis.
Please click here for more detailed information about high blood cholesterol.
Symptoms
There are usually no signs or symptoms of high blood cholesterol. It is usually found during a routine cholesterol and triglycerides test or when another condition caused in part by high cholesterol is diagnosed, such as coronary artery disease, stroke or peripheral arterial disease.
Diagnosis
High blood cholesterol is diagnosed by checking levels of cholesterol in your blood. It is best to have a blood test, called a lipoprotein profile, to measure your cholesterol levels.
Treatment
For most people, treatment will include lifestyle measures, medication therapy and ongoing care and monitoring. The goal of cholesterol-lowering treatment is to reduce the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) level to minimize the risk of heart attack and diseases caused by hardening of the arteries.
The Heart and Vascular Center at Providence offers a variety of resources to diagnose and treat patients with high blood cholesterol:
Physicians
Need current list of relevant physicians.
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