Cholesterol is a fat-like substance that is found throughout the body. The human body needs a bit of cholesterol to function properly, but you don't need to eat a lot of cholesterol-rich foods because your body already produces it. If too much of a specific type of cholesterol---known as low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol---circulates in your body, it ends up sticking to the walls of your arteries as plaque. Plaque buildup through high cholesterol levels can narrow or even block arteries, putting you at risk of contracting a handful of dangerous diseases. Alternately, some diseases can cause HDL cholesterol levels to rise and lead to additional diseases.
Coronary Heart Disease
According to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, coronary heart disease (CHD) is a major risk associated with high cholesterol. This is because when plaque builds up in the arteries, the arteries harden (known as atherosclerosis) and the narrowing causes blood to flow slowly to the heart. This slow-down may be felt as chest pain, but it may also go undetected and, if blood flow stops completely, it can cause a heart attack.
Stroke
When plaque builds up on the arteries that flow into the brain, an arterial blockage may occur or an artery may even burst. Stroke occurs when the part of the brain affected by the blockage or burst dies because it does not receive enough oxygen and blood that it needs. Depending on the location and severity of the stroke, it may affect a range of normal daily activities such as speaking, or it may even cause death.
Peripheral Vascular Disease
Peripheral vascular disease is also linked to high cholesterol. Peripheral arteries are the ones that are outside the heart and the brain. When they are affected by plaque buildup they may become diseased and affect blood circulation, primarily to extremities such as the legs and the feet.
Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 Diabetes is linked to high cholesterol because it can cause levels of bad cholesterol in the body to become elevated. According to the Cleveland Clinic online, even people with controlled diabetes have a tendency to have higher levels of triglycerides (a type of fat found in the bloodstream and the fat tissue,) higher levels of LDL cholesterol, and low levels of the "good" cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein, or HDL, cholesterol, which ends up helping your body get rid of the "bad" LDL cholesterol).
High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure (called hypertension) and high LDL cholesterol levels are interrelated. This is because plaque leads the arteries to harden, which causes them to narrow, which causes the heart to strain as it tries to pump sufficient amounts of blood into the body. Blood pressure (or the amount of resistance that the blood places on the walls of the arteries) ends up being higher as a result.
