What is the difference between good and bad cholesterol & triglycerides?
HDLs are known as the good type of cholesterol because their function is to gather excess LDL cholesterol in the body and return it to the liver. LDL cholesterol, although it serves a valuable purpose, is referred to as bad cholesterol because too much LDL cholesterol is harmful to the body. The reason excess LDL cholesterol is harmful is because it contributes to plaque formation on the inside of inflamed blood vessel walls. Triglycerides are not similar to LDLs in terms of their function in the body, but they are similar in the way they cause harm to the body when present in excess. Like LDLs, triglycerides also travel through the bloodstream. Since triglycerides are a type of sticky blood fat, they also contribute to formation of plaque inside damaged blood vessel walls. Therefore, in general, most people want to increase HDL cholesterol levels and decrease LDL and triglyceride levels. If high cholesterol runs in my family, what, if anything, can I do to lower it? Approximately 10 p
