Cholesterol is a type of fatty substance made by your body or ingested from your food. High levels of fat in the blood contribute to hardening and narrowing of blood vessels, leading to poor blood circulation to major organs in the body. This increases your chances of having strokes and heart attacks.
Three main types of blood fats (or blood lipids) are usually checked:
- High Density Lipoprotein (HDL): “good” cholesterol
- Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL): “bad” cholesterol
- Triglycerides
Talk with your health care provider about doing a Fasting Blood Cholesterol test.
