Cholesterol Types

Blood cholesterol is a white, waxy compound called sterols, present in every cell of the body. Cholestrol is essential for development of our hormones and brain function. In our human body, there are various types of cholesterol, and it is not always harmful. In fact, we cannot live without certain type of cholesterol. Below are the types of cholesterol :

Lipoproteins

Lipoproteins carry cholesterol and other fats through the blood vessels to various parts of the body to be used, stored or removed. There are several types of lipoproteins. Here are the most important ones for you to know.

HDL Cholesterol

High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol is sometimes known as "good" cholesterol. HDL cholesterol cleanse excess cholesterol from tissues back to the liver. The liver will then braks it down and it becomes part of the bile for removal.

LDL Cholesterol

Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is sometimes known as "bad" cholesterol. Too much LDL cholesterol may leave deposits (plaque) on the lining of arteries, causing blockages and leading to heart disease.

Triglycerides

Triglycerides (TG) are one type of fat in the blood. Like the bad cholesterol, high levels of triglycerides can be harmful. It thickens the blood, and the clotting of blood will cause heart attack or stoke

Cholesterol, depression linked to gender

While cholesterol increases the risk of depression in the elderly, it may affect men and women differently, a new research indicates.

Good cholesterol may mean little for statin users

People with high levels of the so-called good cholesterol HDL tend to have fewer heart attacks but HDL may offer little protective benefit in people who take statins to lower harmful LDL cholesterol, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday.

Cholesterol Study: Low HDL May Not Be So Bad

Patients on statin drugs who reduce their LDL ''bad'' cholesterol to very low levels may not need to be so concerned about boosting their HDL ''good" cholesterol levels for protection against cardiovascular disease, according to a new study.

Good Cholesterol Seems Less Important Once Statins Have Lowered Bad Cholesterol

Results of an international trial suggest that once statins have lowered LDL or "bad" cholesterol, the level of HDL or "good" cholesterol is less important in terms of predicting cardiovascular risk than it is during pre-treatment assessment. You can read about the research behind these particular findings from the JUPITER trial in a report published in the early online issue of The Lancet on 22 ...

No firm conclusions about HDL cholesterol can be drawn from JUPITER sub-analysis

The European Society of Cardiology is concerned that interpretations of a paper about cholesterol could act to deter ongoing research efforts into developing new therapeutic strategies to increase high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. Caution, the ESC experts advise, should be displayed in the interpretation of the results.