What is Cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a sterol (a combination steroid and alcohol). Cholesterol is a lipid found in the cell membranes of all tissues, and it is transported in the blood plasma of all animals. Because cholesterol is synthesized by all eukaryotes, trace amounts of cholesterol are also found in membranes of plants and fungi.The name originates from the Greek chole- (bile) and stereos (solid), and the chemical suffix -ol for an alcohol, as researchers first identified cholesterol in solid form in gallstones by Francois Poulletier de la Salle in 1769. However, it is only in 1815 that chemist Eugene Chevreul named the compound "cholesterine".[2]Most of the cholesterol is synthesized by the body and some has dietary origin. Cholesterol is more abundant in tissues which either synthesize more or have more abundant densely-packed membranes, for example, the liver, spinal cord and brain. It plays a central role in many biochemical processes, such as the composition of cell membranes and the synthesis of steroid hormones. Cholesterol is insoluble in blood, but is transported in the circulatory system bound to one of the varieties of lipoprotein, spherical particles which have an exterior composed mainly of water-soluble proteins. The main types, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) carry cholesterol from and to the liver.According to the lipid hypothesis, abnormally high cholesterol levels (hypercholesterolemia) and abnormal proportions of LDL and HDL are associated with cardiovascular disease by promoting atheroma development in arteries (atherosclerosis). This disease process leads to myocardial infarction (heart attack), stroke and peripheral vascular disease. As high LDL contributes to this process, it is termed "bad cholesterol", while high levels of HDL ("good cholesterol") offer a degree of protection. The balance can be redressed with exercise, a healthy diet, and sometimes medication.

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Hot flashes linked to high blood pressure | Health | Reuters
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - While past research has shown a link between menopause and high blood pressure, a new study suggests there is a relationship

Hot Flashes in Women Linked to High Blood Pressure, According to
Women who get hot flashes have higher blood pressure than those who don't, according to a new study led by Weill Cornell Medical College.

Hot Flashes Linked to High Blood Pressure
According to new research out of the Cornell Medical Center, women who experience hot flashes tend to have higher blood pressure than women who don't

US Press News - Hot Doctors, High Blood Pressure Medication Linked
Patients who described their doctors as either "Oh m'God" or " Pretty Hot" were 44% more likely to be prescribe medicine for high blood pressure.

High Blood Pressure and Hot Tubs (Saunas)
Hot tubs and saunas -- if not misused -- pose no risk to healthy people.

What's Hot: High Blood Pressure
We all know the importance of controlling high blood pressure and what will happen if we donâ™t, but to our surprise many people know little about this

Hot Flashes in Women Linked to High Blood Pressure
Women who get hot flashes have higher blood pressure than those who don't, according to a new study.

Effects of intensive blood-pressure lowering and low-dose aspirin
INTERPRETATION: Intensive lowering of blood pressure in patients with hypertension was associated with a low rate of cardiovascular events. The HOT Study

High blood pressure - Hot Hubs
Listing of the Hot Hubs tagged high blood pressure on HubPages.

The Hot Tub Mystery: The Story of a Very HOT Tub - Part I - Case
The Hot Tub Mystery: The Story of a Very HOT Tub - Part I - by Herbert House, Elon University, Elon, NC. From the Case Study Collection of the National

Hypertension Online Slides - aspirin, blood pressure, HOT, stroke
The Hypertension Optimal Treatment (HOT) trial was the first to show the benefit of a lower blood pressure goal in reducing CV events in the subgroup of


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