High cholesterol - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic Cholesterol is a waxy substance found in the blood The body needs cholesterol to build healthy cells But high levels of cholesterol can raise the risk of heart disease With high cholesterol, fats and other substances can build up in blood vessels called arteries This buildup is called plaque
Hyperlipidemia (High Cholesterol): Levels, Causes, Symptoms . . . Hyperlipidemia, also known as dyslipidemia or high cholesterol, means you have too many lipids (fats) in your blood Your liver creates cholesterol to help you digest food and make things like hormones But you also eat cholesterol in foods from the meat and dairy aisles
High Cholesterol: Symptoms, Causes and Treatment Good cholesterol is known as high-density lipoprotein (HDL) It removes cholesterol from the bloodstream Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is the “bad” cholesterol If your total cholesterol level is high because of a high LDL level, you may be at higher risk of heart disease or stroke