High cholesterol as we all know by now can lead to some serious health problems. It causes a condition known as atherosclerosis, which is a narrowing and hardening of the arteries. This condition can eventually lead to diseases such as high blood pressure, angina, heart attack and stroke. These health problems do not manifest themselves over a period of days or months, but over a period of years.<br><br>Our bodies use cholesterol for binding cells together, production of vitamin D and hormones and the manufacture of substances that aid it the digestion of the foods that we eat. We get cholesterol from two sources, our liver which produces almost all that we need and the foods that we eat. Plants such as fruits and vegetables do not produce cholesterol; it is only manufactured by animals. The main source is from meat, chicken, fish, butter and milk to name a few. The problem is when we have too much cholesterol in our blood.<br><br>The cholesterol that is manufactured in our livers needs to be transported to the tissues where it is needed. Just like oil and water do not mix, cholesterol, being a fat will not mix with our blood and will separate. To overcome this cholesterol is surrounded by a protein to form a ?cholesterol complex? which is termed as a lipoprotein. There are two types of these lipoproteins, LDL (bad) cholesterol and HDL (good) cholesterol. The LDL?s are responsible for transporting cholesterol from the liver to the tissues in the body that need it. The problem comes into play when we have too many of these LDL?s because they release there cholesterol and form the plague in our arteries that lead to atherosclerosis. The function of the HDL?s is to pick-up this extra cholesterol and return it to the liver. Now it can either be re-packaged for later use or discarded. This is the reason why we are told that having low levels of LDL?s in conjunction with high levels of HDL?s is the best for our health.<br><br>To date, medical science does not know specific reasons why some people are more prone to high cholesterol and others are not. It is believed to be a combination of how fast a person?s body manufactures and uses it up along with the diets that we eat. They have however been able to determine some risk factors for high cholesterol that we should all be aware of. Some of these risk factors such as diet, weight and the amount of exercise that we get are within our control. Others such as heredity, age and sex are not something that we have control over.<br><br>In conclusion, we all need to understand the role that high cholesterol plays in our overall health. There are more than 1 million heart attacks in the United States each year that result in about 550,000 deaths. A blood test is really the only way to know if you have a problem with cholesterol levels. If you feel that you may be at risk due to lifestyle or other risk factors you need to consult with your doctor so he can monitor the situation.