cholesterol and hardening of the arteries Posted: 12-29-07 03:03am
When there is too much cholesterol (a
fat-like substance) in your blood, it
builds up in the walls of your arteries.
Over time, this buildup causes
%u201Chardening of the arteries%u201D so
that arteries become narrowed and blood
flow to the heart is slowed down or
blocked. The blood carries oxygen to the
heart, and if enough blood and oxygen
cannot reach your heart, you may suffer
chest pain. If the blood supply to a
portion of the heart is completely cut off
by a blockage, the result is a heart
attack.
High blood cholesterol itself does not
cause symptoms, so many people are unaware
that their cholesterol level is too high.
It is important to find out what your
cholesterol numbers are because lowering
cholesterol levels that are too high
lessens the risk for developing heart
disease and reduces the chance of a heart
attack or dying of heart disease, even if
you already have it. Cholesterol lowering
is important for everyone%u2013younger,
middle age, and older adults; women and
men; and people with or without heart
disease.
