How Cholesterol Affects Your Arteries

1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic by 3 people | Log in to rate

Ranked #9,230 in Health, #89,009 overall

Why Is High Cholesterol Dangerous?

Most people know that high cholesterol is bad because it clogs the arteries, but few people know exactly how the process works or why it's so important.

Once you learn exactly what it means, you may want to do more to keep your cholesterol levels in check.


Eating for Lower Cholesterol:
A Balanced Approach to Heart Health with Recipes Everyone Will Love

Your arteries bring blood from your heart out to the rest of your body. The Dorsal Aorta is the main artery of your body, which splits into numerous smaller arteries. The systems in your body all have arteries that deliver oxygenated blood to them.

If you have too much cholesterol, your arteries aren't able to pump as much blood through your body. Cholesterol can clog up your arteries, making it much harder for blood to travel through your veins.

If you get a blockage that's too large, it can lead to a heart attack or a stroke. To understand how a heart attack or stroke can occur, it's important to grasp the concept of what cholesterol is and how it travels through your body's arteries.

Lower Your LDL Cholesterol NOW! 

Cholesterol Down: Ten Simple Steps to Lower Your Cholesterol in Four Weeks--Without Prescription Drugs

Amazon Price: $10.94 (as of 07/06/2009)Buy Now
List Price: $13.95

"CholesterolDown is a most remarkable book. By following Dr. Brill's 10 simple steps, I was able to lower my cholesterol 30 points in a few weeks, and go off statins. There is an excellent chapter on recipes to lower cholesterol, all of which happen to be relatively simple to prepare as well as delicious. The book is well-written, easy to follow, with appropriate touches of humor. I heartily recommend this book for all who wish to live a longer, healthier life, without enslavement to prescription drugs."

Release Date: 12/26/2006

Avg. Customer Rating: Amazon Rating

Usually ships in 24 hours

Order a Cholesterol Test Online 

Did you know that you can order a cholesterol blood test online without a doctors order? You can order a test online, receive a requisition to visit your local lab, and receive your test results in 24-48 hours!

It's safe, secure, and confidential. Your cholesterol test results will not be added to your permanent medical record because they were not ordered by your doctor!

The Anatomy of a Clogged Artery 

Arteries have three layers - one of which is directly affected by cholesterol. Each layer is made up


The New 8-Week Cholesterol Cure:
The Ultimate Program for Preventing Heart Disease

of cells called epithelial cells. The outer layer is tough, like a tough skin. The middle layer is a muscular layer that helps push the blood through the arteries.

Then the inner layer is a soft, smooth layer. It allows the blood to flow easily through the arteries. The heart relaxes and tenses with enough force to push the blood through the arteries to the rest of the body.

This system is extremely efficient in a person with healthy cholesterol. The blood travels easily through the body, and oxygen travels very well to the parts of the body that need it. When cholesterol levels become too high, the arteries can become clogged with deposits of fat and cholesterol.

Your heart isn't able to pump blood efficiently anymore, and you might suffer a heart attack or stroke. When the deposits of cholesterol build up and thicken considerably, it can lead to heart disease.

Heart disease is when the heart muscle becomes diseased and weakened. It can no longer pump blood through the body efficiently, and this is when heart attack becomes much more likely.

What Do You Do to Lower Your Cholesterol? 




Loading poll. Please Wait...

Here's a Good Example of How Cholesterol Can Lead to Heart Attack or Stroke: 

We can use a straw as an example of how blood travels through an artery to show you how bad levels of cholesterol can be a danger. Let's say you're drinking a real strawberry milkshake through a straw, and a small piece of strawberry gets stuck to the inside of the straw. More than likely, you're still going to be able to suck a little milkshake through that straw.


Cholesterol Control Without Diet!:
The Niacin Solution

It just flows more slowly than before, because not as much can get through. But if another small piece of strawberry comes through, it will probably get stuck on that first piece, and it won't go through the straw. In fact, it may be enough to block the flow completely.

Then if you manage to dislodge it, so much could come through at once it could make you choke! The same thing can happen in your arteries. If the blockage suddenly dislodges, it could lead to a stroke.

A lot of people don't realize it, but you don't have to have extremely high cholesterol levels to be at risk of having a heart attack or stroke. Even having borderline high cholesterol can be enough to increase your chances of having one of these deadly occurrences, so it's important to keep your cholesterol in check.

Heart disease is one of the most common killers in the world, especially in North America. It's absolutely vital that you do everything you can to achieve and maintain healthy cholesterol levels.

Cook Your Way to Healthy Cholesterol Levels! 

Low-Cholesterol Cookbook for Dummies

Amazon Price: $13.59 (as of 07/06/2009)Buy Now
List Price: $19.99

"I'm not much of a cook but I am interested in low cholesterol, so I took a chance on this book. And what a pleasant surprise. Not only is it chock full of information on fats in foods, the good and the bad, but the variety and originality of the recipes actually inspired me to cook. The chicken recipes alone are simply wonderful."

Release Date: 12/31/1969

Avg. Customer Rating: Amazon Rating

Usually ships in 24 hours

Concerned About Heart Diseases? 

What Questions Do You Have About Cholesterol? 

Click here for a full list of cholesterol lowering resources!





Other people visited: 

Related Links:

Loading Fetching RSS feed... please stand by

Do you like this page? 

Share it with a friend!

    Save It! Share It!
    Click here to bookmark this page!




Loading poll. Please Wait...