You can’t see the cholesterol in your food and you probably feel fine, so why
should you worry about what your cholesterol level is? 
Clogging of the arteries (also known as atherosclerosis) begins when the inner wall of the artery becomes damaged. Some of the main causes of this damage are high cholesterol, smoking, high blood pressure and diabetes. Once the wall has been damaged bad (LDL) cholesterol, other fatty substances and waste products can build-up to produce a fatty plaque. The plaque starts off relatively small but over time it grows. Fatty plaques can grow anywhere in the body and you probably have more than one fatty plaque at any time. You can read more about how high cholesterol causes clogged arteries here. You can also watch a video on this process by clicking on the link on the right. The build-up of fatty plaques in the arteries is usually very slow, and in the beginning the artery is able to change shape to keep blood flow the same.
Because the body is able to cope with the problem at first, most people do not have any symptoms for many years. Over time though the fatty plaque grows bigger and becomes harder, and eventually the artery cannot make up for the growing fatty plaque. This eventually leads to a reduction in blood flow through the artery. Fatty plaques can also be very fragile and can rupture at any time. If the plaque does rupture it can cause a blood clot, which can partially or even
completely block the artery. The arteries are the blood vessels that carry blood rich in oxygen to all parts of the body, including major organs such as the heart and brain. If the artery is narrowed (or blocked) then the blood flow is restricted and cells can become starved of blood. Cells starved of a good blood supply become damaged and may even die. The impact that clogged arteries have on your health depends on whereabouts in your body the blockage is. If the blockage is in the arteries in the legs then you may feel pain when you exercise. If the blockage is in an artery that supplies blood to the heart or the brain then you could suffer a heart attack or stroke. Both of these are very serious and could even cause death.  |  |  | | Most heart attacks are caused by clogged arteries, and clogged arteries are caused by high cholesterol. |  |
Even though you might feel fine at the moment the high amounts of cholesterol in your body are starting to seriously affect your health. It is therefore very important that you act now to control your cholesterol level and thereby reduce your chance of future heart problems. Next: What else can I do? |