What Are Lipid Disorders?
Lipid disorders are abnormal levels of cholesterol in the blood that put men and women at risk for heart disease. Some cholesterol is necessary to maintain cell membranes and other aspects of health. However, too much cholesterol can lead to heart disease. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Heart attacks kill nearly 500,000 men and women each year. Cholesterol is carried through the blood bound to two types of “lipoproteins.” Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) carries most of the cholesterol in the blood. High levels of LDL can cause cholesterol to deposit in blood vessels, clogging the arteries. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) helps remove cholesterol from the blood and helps prevent cholesterol from building up. The risk for heart disease increases as levels of LDL increase and as levels of HDL decrease.
