Cholesterol is an organic compound belonging to the steroid lipid family. In our organism it carries out various biological, important and ESSENTIAL functions:
- it is a component of cell membranes, of which it regulates fluidity and permeability;
- it is the precursor of vitamin D, bile salts and steroid hormones, both male and female (testosterone, progesterone, estradiol, cortisol, etc.).
Like all the most tenacious adversaries, high cholesterol can be defeated only by knowing it thoroughly and using this information to develop adequate defensive and counterattack strategies. To help you in this "mission" we have grouped in the table below all the links to the articles of the site dedicated to the theme " cholesterol ".
learn about cholesterol | UNDERSTAND THE BLOOD ANALYSIS |
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CHOLESTEROL AND HEALTH | FOOD, DIET AND CHOLESTEROL |
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LOWER THE HIGH CHOLESTEROL | DRUG AGAINST HIGH CHOLESTEROL |
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SUPPLEMENTS FOR LOWERING CHOLESTEROL | QUIZ ON THE CHOLESTEROL - VERIFIES YOUR KNOWLEDGE |
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LEARN TO COOK WITHOUT CHOLESTEROL | |
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Video lectures on cholesterol
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Cholesterol derives from both nutrition and endogenous synthesis.
Foods with a high cholesterol content are those of animal origin, generally rich in saturated fats such as eggs, butter, meats, meats, cheeses and some crustaceans.
About 80-90% of total cholesterol is produced independently by our body, especially from the liver but also from the adrenal gland and the sexual glands. This explains why in some individuals, despite a balanced diet and a regular program of physical activity, cholesterol levels remain high. When endogenous production is physiologically high, as in these cases, we speak of familial hypercholesterolemia.
Whatever its origin, hypercholesterolemia is characterized by a concentration of cholesterol in the blood (cholesterolemia) higher than normal.
Blood cholesterol values | |
<200 mg / dl | Normal cholesterolemia |
200-249 mg / dl | Mild hypercholesterolemia |
250-299 mg / dl | Moderate hypercholesterolemia |
> 299 mg / dl | Severe hypercholesterolemia |
Cholesterol being a lipid, it is scarcely soluble in water and therefore needs to be bound to specific lipoproteins to be transported to the circulatory stream. Cholesterol mainly binds to low-density lipoproteins or LDL (the so-called bad cholesterol). In fact, it is estimated that around 60-80% of total cholesterol is linked to LDL.
The excess cholesterol bound to these lipoproteins tends to accumulate on the endothelium of the arteries, forming increasingly dense aggregates to generate real plaques, called atheromas.
These plaques lose the natural elasticity of the arteries and can cause severe damage especially to the heart (heart attack) or the brain (stroke).
The good cholesterol is instead represented by HDL (high density lipoprotein) that cleans the arteries capturing excess cholesterol and transferring it to the tissues (especially to the liver), where it is disposed of.
The higher the level of HDL in the blood, the lower the risk of developing atherosclerosis and all the other negative consequences of hypercholesterolemia.
By virtue of this characteristic, in recent years the role of HDL has been significantly re-evaluated, so that today the ratio between HDL and LDL is considered more significant, compared to the value of total cholesterol.
Generally "good" cholesterol (HDL) should not be less than 30% of total cholesterol (LDL + HDL). Another parameter, called the cardiovascular risk index, relates total cholesterol to HDL. If this ratio is greater than 5 in men and 4.5 in women, the patient is considered at risk.
Cholesterol prevention »