Cholesterol is publicized as an antonym to health. The most important thing your doctor will keep in mind when thinking about statin treatment is your long-term risk of a heart attack or stroke. Controlling your blood pressure, managing cholesterol and diabetes, and quitting smoking are important steps to reducing your risk. Lower cholesterol and blood pressure target levels may help adults with type 2 diabetes to prevent or even reverse hardening of their arteries, according to new research. Cholesterol is found in the structure of all cells in the body. If your risk is very low, you probably won't need a statin, unless your LDL is above 190 mg/dL (4.92 mmol/L). Cholesterol testing is very important if you: have a family history of high cholesterol or heart disease; are overweight or obese; drink alcohol frequently Lifestyle choices also affect HDL levels. The Importance of Lowering Cholesterol. The higher the HDL cholesterol levels , presumably, the more cholesterol is being removed from where it might otherwise cause damage. Cholesterol is a soft, waxy, fat-like substance found in your body’s cells and bloodstream. This is because cholesterol production in the body an extremely complex process, and places burden on the liver ( 2 ). However, it is a necessary nutrient for body function. Lowering your cholesterol is important; increased cholesterol levels lead to a higher risk of heart attacks and strokes. Your body produces cholesterol naturally, and the rest comes from the food you eat. There are many reasons why some people have low HDL and others have high HDL. Why cholesterol matters. As the amount of cholesterol in your blood increases, so does the risk to your health. "Cholesterol is important for cell function," says Prediman K. Shah, MD, director of the Oppenheimer Atherosclerosis Research Center and Atherosclerosis Prevention … Good and Bad Cholesteral Cholesterol is divided into a “good” and “bad” portion. Bad cholesterol, LDL, often deposits cholesterol in blood vessels. According to the American Heart Association, your body makes all the cholesterol you need and circulates it through your bloodstream. High cholesterol contributes to a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases, such as heart disease and stroke. Learn more about how health systems can address stroke risk factors and improve the quality of stroke care to reduce stroke deaths. What causes low HDL cholesterol? So the cholesterol present in HDL is, to a large extent, excess cholesterol that has just been removed from cells and blood vessel walls and is being transported back to the liver for recycling. 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