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Cholesterol

What is cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that's found in all the cells in your body. Your body needs some cholesterol to make hormones, vitamin D, and substances that help you digest foods. Your body makes all the cholesterol it needs. Cholesterol is also found in foods from animal sources, such as egg yolks, meat, and cheese.

If you have too much cholesterol in your blood, it can combine with other substances in the blood to form plaque. Plaque sticks to the walls of your arteries. This buildup of plaque is known as atherosclerosis. It can lead to coronary artery disease, a condition in which your coronary arteries become narrow or even blocked.

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Results 1 - 10 of 1,868 for cholesterol
  1. How to Lower Cholesterol with Diet (National Library of Medicine)  
    What is cholesterol? Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that that's found in all the cells in your body. Your body needs some cholesterol to work properly. But if you have too ...
  2. Cholesterol (National Library of Medicine)  
    What is cholesterol? Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that's found in all the cells in your body. Your body needs some cholesterol to make hormones, vitamin D, and substances that ...
  3. Cholesterol Levels: What You Need to Know (National Library of Medicine)  
    What is cholesterol? Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that that's found in all the cells in your body. Your body needs some cholesterol to work properly. But if you have too ...
  4. Cholesterol Medicines (National Library of Medicine)  
    What is cholesterol? Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that that's found in all the cells in your body. Your body needs some cholesterol to work properly. But if you have too ...
  5. HDL: The "Good" Cholesterol (National Library of Medicine)  
    What is cholesterol? Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that's found in all the cells in your body. Your liver makes cholesterol, and it is also in some foods, such ...
  6. How to Lower Cholesterol (National Library of Medicine)  
    What is cholesterol? Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that that's found in all the cells in your body. Your body needs some cholesterol to work properly. But if you have too ...
  7. LDL: The "Bad" Cholesterol (National Library of Medicine)  
    What is cholesterol? Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that's found in all the cells in your body. Your liver makes cholesterol, and it is also in some foods, such ...
  8. VLDL Cholesterol (National Library of Medicine)  
    What is cholesterol? Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that's found in all the cells in your body. Your liver makes cholesterol, and it is also in some foods, such ...
  9. High Cholesterol in Children and Teens (National Library of Medicine)  
    What is cholesterol? Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that's found in all the cells in the body. The liver makes cholesterol, and it is also in some foods, such ...
  10. Cholesterol Levels What is a cholesterol test? A cholesterol test is a blood test that measures the amount of cholesterol and triglycerides (a type of fat) in ... your VLDL level. Why do I need a cholesterol test? Your provider may order a cholesterol test ...
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