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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Understanding the meaning of your high blood pressure reading
What does your high blood pressure reading mean? Do you understand the meaning of the different values? Find out how to interprete various blood pressure

Blood Pressure Testing and Measurement - NYU Medical Center, NYU
This ensures a more accurate reading of your resting blood pressure. A blood pressure reading of less than 90 over 60 may be considered too low.

What is the meaning of low blood pressure readings? - Yahoo! Answers
Recently a relative of mine was admitted into the

Meaning of blood pressure,farsightedness,drug interactions,blood
discuss the word blood pressure. Meaning of blood pressure (noun) what does blood pressure mean? what is the meaning of blood pressure? meaning for

Pseudohypertension Definition and Diagnosis
Pseduohypertension is a condition where the blood pressure reading is elevated but the actual blood pressure is not. It is typically found in older people

Hypertension - Definition, Description, Causes, Symptoms
True hypertension exists only when a person has high blood pressure readings on a number of different occasions. If a doctor suspects hypertension,

Blood Pressure Measurement - Definition, Purpose, Precautions
Hypotension is a reduction in the blood pressure below normal values. If a very high or very low pressure is taken, the blood pressure reading may be

Sphygmomanometer - Definition, Purpose, Description, Normal results
A sphygmomanometer consists of a hand bulb pump, a unit that displays the blood pressure reading, and an inflatable cuff that is usually wrapped around a

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Definition of blood pressure in the Medical Dictionary. blood pressure explanation. Information about blood pressure in Free online English dictionary.

Definition of blood pressure - NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms
The force of circulating blood on the walls of the arteries. Blood pressure is taken using two measurements: systolic (measured when the heart beats,

Understanding LAb Tests to Reverse and Prevent Heart Disease
Understanding the Meaning of Laboratory Tests . New research indicates that the top number in a blood pressure reading is more useful than the bottom

What is blood pressure?
If you are being treated for high blood pressure, you still have high blood pressure even if you have repeated readings in the normal range.

High blood pressure (hypertension)
Because the height of a mercury column is used in blood pressure gauges, standard blood pressure readings are always written as so many â˜millimetres of

Blood pressure definition - Medical Dictionary definitions of
Blood pressure: The blood pressure is the pressure of the blood within the arteries. It is produced primarily by the contraction of the heart muscle.

High blood pressure definition - High Blood Pressure (Hypertension
High blood pressure: Also known as hypertension, high blood pressure is, by definition, a repeatedly elevated blood pressure exceeding 140 over 90 mmHg -- a

What Is High Blood Pressure?
A blood pressure reading below 120/80 mmHg is considered normal. In general, lower is better. However, very low blood pressure can sometimes be a cause for

What Is The Meaning Of The Numbers In A Blood Pressure Reading
What Is The Meaning Of The Numbers In A Blood Pressure Reading? - Science Fact Finder.

high blood pressure: Definition and Much More from Answers.com
The noun high blood pressure has one meaning:. Meaning #1: a common disorder in which blood pressure remains abnormally high (a reading of 140/90 mm Hg or

MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Blood pressure
Blood pressure readings are measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg) and usually given as 2 The bottom number is the diastolic blood pressure reading.


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