LDL, the so-called bad cholesterol

What is bad about cholesterol. Without cholesterol none of us would exist. It is absolutely necessary and the structural material upon which all the cells of our body are built. That part of cholesterol is good. So why does cholesterol have a bad name. Most of the cholesterol in our body is not from the cholesterol we consume in our food, rather it is made in all cells of the body. When we are born, for most our LDL-cholesterol is approximately 40 to 60 mg./dL and at that level our bodies thrive and grow. When we are young most of us have a balanced metabolism and our cholesterol level is just right. As we get older, mostly in our 40s but for some in the low 20s, this precious material is not ideally handled by the body and becomes imbalanced, Cholesterol rises in the bloodstream and with that this excess lipoprotein starts to enter our arteries greater than it is removed. The more elevated the LDL or the longer it remains in the bloodstream the faster it gets into the arteries.  That is when cholesterol starts to become bad.

LDL cholesterol is not one single item but a continuum of cholesterol packets in a range designated LDL. These packets vary in size and the smaller ones may have an easier time in entering the arteries. This small LDL is really bad. You cannot tell from the LDL level whether you have many small packets or if they are large. Larger packets are more desirable if they are not numerous. The small packets are usually numerous and bad and are the main reason for most of the heart attack surprises in those people who thought their LDL cholesterol was good. This problem is ubiquitous(very common)in our population, 65 to 80%. Because of this fact, in Europe and Asia they no longer use the LDL as a measurement of risk. These facts are not well appreciated by the american general public. Without recognizing these facts we are doomed to continue our present day cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality rates.

In the future blogs I will discuss the so-called good cholesterol and then on to the ugly cholesterols. Subscribe to our RSS feed and be immediately notified.