Cholesterol performs many important functions in your body, but when you have too much, your risk of disease grows. For example, your risk of atherosclerosis and heart disease are related to high cholesterol, and high cholesterol is part of the definition of metabolic syndrome. Moreover, high cholesterol is a complication of several illnesses. According to the National Cholesterol Education Program, your total cholesterol is high when it reaches beyond 200 mg/dL. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 1-in-6 U.S. adults has high cholesterol.
Atherosclerosis
High cholesterol can lead to a condition in which plaque builds up in your arteries and hardens them. This condition is known as atherosclerosis, and it's a major player in the development of heart disease. When there's too much of it in your blood, cholesterol, along with fat and other substances, can stick to the walls of your major blood vessels, making them more rigid and narrow. The cholesterol-laden plaque can also block the flow of blood. When your blood flow to the heart slows down or stops, you can experience a heart attack. Moreover, pieces of the cholesterol buildup can break off and go into smaller blood vessels. PubMed Health says this process can kill. It can cause tissue damage, and blood can clot around tears. If the clot moves into an artery where it can reach your heart, lungs or brain, the result can be heart attack, stroke or pulmonary embolism.
Heart Disease
As early as 1961, results from the Framingham Heart Study demonstrated that cholesterol levels can increase your risk of heart disease, and as late as 2009, the same study uncovered new genes responsible for cholesterol that buttress the original finding. Heart disease is a really broad term to cover a number of ailments affecting this very important organ. For example, as in the case of atherosclerosis, diseases affecting your blood vessels fall under coronary heart disease. Much of cholesterol treatment is centered around preventing this form of heart disease, but in addition, congenital heart defects, infections and abnormal heart rhythms also fall under heart disease. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute targets primarily LDL, or bad cholesterol, and your risk of heart disease grows when it's higher than 160 mg/dL.
Metabolic Syndrome
Your cholesterol profile is also a component of metabolic syndrome, a cluster of disorders that increase your risk of heart disease, obesity and type 2 diabetes. Risk factors come from genetic, lifestyle and "emerging" factors, with six major components that define metabolic syndrome. Cholesterol falls under "atherogenic dyslipidemia." It refers to having elevated bad cholesterol, reduced good cholesterol and increased triglycerides. PubMed Health says metabolic syndrome, formerly called syndrome X, is becoming increasingly common in the United States, though scientists don't fully understand the condition yet. Current treatment includes aggressive attention to your cholesterol profile, along with losing weight and getting more physical activity.
Complications
High cholesterol is also prominently featured as a complication in other chronic diseases, including diabetes and kidney disease. Moreover, emerging evidence suggests that total cholesterol might be related to dementia and cognitive decline. Lifestyle factors and other conditions can intensify the effects of your high blood cholesterol, making it more likely it will lead to heart disease. These include smoking, lack of physical activity, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes and poor diet.
References
- National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute; "Third Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (Adult Treatment Panel III)"; May 2001
- CDC: Cholesterol Facts
- PubMed Health: Atherosclerosis
- Framingham Heart Study: Research Milestones
- "American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry"; "Cholesterol as a Risk Factor for Dementia and Cognitive Decline: A Systematic Review of Prospective Studies With Meta-Analysis"; Kaarin Anstey et al; May 2008
- "Circulation"; "Definition of Metabolic Syndrome: Report of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute/American Heart Association Conference on Scientific Issues Related to Definition"; 2004
