What is “good”, “bad” and “ugly” cholesterol?
Good cholesterol or HDL-c can be thought of as the “garbage truck” of the body; responsible for picking up bad cholesterol in the periphery and returning it to the liver for processing. Bad cholesterol is LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein) which is the “garbage” building up inside arteries. Problems arise when the quantity of your garbage and the size of the garbage truck are poorly matched. This leads to unstable atherosclerotic plaques which are dangerous and UGLY! 2. Where do good and bad cholesterol come from? About 70 – 80% of the bad LDL cholesterol is manufactured by the liver under various genetic and hormonal influences while 20 – 30% are dietary. HDL level is also genetic and is difficult to modify, however, lifestyle factors can improve it significantly. 3. What is a normal cholesterol profile? There is no single profile that is normal for everyone! Rather, every individual’s global cardiovascular risk assessment determines the level of intervention and targets for cholesterol. I
