High Cholesterol

Overview

Cholesterol is a waxy-textured substance found in the fats in our blood. It's important for our body to have cholesterol present to build healthy cells. However, excess high cholesterol can increase the risk of heart disease. When you have high cholesterol, you may develop fatty deposits in your blood vessels.

Causes

The following factors that may increase the risk of high cholesterol include: 

• Poor diet.
• Eating saturated fat, found in animal products
• Eating trans fats found in some commercially baked cookies and crackers.

 

Risks

Being overweight can be a high risk factor for High Cholesterol, which means diet consisting of trans fats, saturated fat, sugar, and cholesterol in the food you eat can raise cholesterol levels.