What is Cholesterol?

An article containing the basics of cholesterol and important functions cholesterol served in the human body.

Cholesterol is a type of fat produced in your body. It has essential functions and is needed by every cell in the body. Too much cholesterol can lead to negative health consequences. Early detection and treatment by your physician is important.

Cholesterol is a waxy, fat like substance your body uses to protect nerves, make cell tissues and produce certain hormones.

All the cholesterol your body needs is made by your liver.  That’s right - your body produces enough cholesterol so that if you never touched another cheese burger, you'd be OK. But it's hard to avoid cholesterol entirely because so many foods contain it.

The truth is, you need cholesterol; however, eating too much of it is a bad idea, especially for people whose bodies already make too much cholesterol.  Important functions of cholesterol include:

• maintaining cell membranes (outer layer)
• It is essential for determining which molecules can pass into the cell and which cannot (cell membrane permeability)
• It is involved in the production of sex hormones (androgens and estrogens)
• It is essential for the production of hormones released by the adrenal glands (cortisol, corticosterone, aldosterone, and others)
• It aids in the production of bile which is used to help digest food
• It converts sunshine to vitamin D
• It is important for the metabolism of fat soluble vitamins, including vitamins A, D, E, and K
• It insulates nerve fibers

Extra cholesterol floats around in your blood and can get into the walls of the blood vessels and stay there. If you have too much cholesterol in your bloodstream, a lot can collect in the blood vessel walls, causing these blood vessels to become narrower.  In severe cases, the blood vessel becomes completely blocked. When this happens, the organ where the blood was supposed to go to can become deprived of oxygen and nutrients and becomes damaged.   Cholesterol is a leading cause of heart attacks and strokes.

Your doctor can find out your cholesterol levels with a simple blood test done at the annual physical. It is a good idea to check it annually once you are over the age of 40. In my practice, if there is strong family history or other lifestyle factors that make me concerned, I will begin testing at a much earlier age.  Talk to your physician today to determine when to start testing your cholesterol levels.  Early detection and treatment can improve and save lives.