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.

blood pressure readings mean
Blood Pressure Readings - What They Mean
Find out how the numbers in your blood pressure readings measure your risk for heart attack and other damage.

Blood pressure - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Usually, systolic, diastolic, and mean pressures are displayed For blood pressure readings taken with a home monitoring device to be accurate,

Mean arterial pressure - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The mean arterial pressure (MAP) is a term used in medicine to describe a notional average blood pressure in an individual. It is defined as the average

MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Blood pressure
On the other hand, a single normal measurement does not necessarily mean that you don't have high blood pressure. Blood pressure readings taken at home can

Blood Pressure For Men
What do the blood pressure readings mean? Blood pressure is the pressure of the circulating blood against the walls of the arteries, the veins,

Blood Pressure Monitoring at Home -- familydoctor.org
How do I use an aneroid monitor? How do I use a digital monitor? What does my blood pressure reading mean? See Also:. More Information. Other Organizations

Blood pressure: A chart explaining your blood pressure reading
Blood pressure readings are grouped into four categories. Here's a look at the four blood pressure categories and what they mean for you.

Blood Pressure - What is MAP ? - Heart Disease - MedHelp
Exercise can lower blood pressure) raise the pulseNeck pulse . Extrinsic influences on arteriole tone maintain mean arterialArterial embolism

High Blood Pressure - What it means and what you can do about it
The systolic pressure is always stated first. For example, a blood pressure reading of 120 over 80 (120/80) would mean that your systolic pressure is 122 mm

What do the numbers mean in a blood pressure reading?
What do the numbers in a blood pressure reading mean and what is a "healthy" blood pressure? Shannon Renton, Washington. Dear Shannon:

High blood pressure (hypertension) - causes, treatments and
High blood pressure (hbp) or hypertension means high pressure (tension) in the arteries. Arteries are vessels that carry blood from the pumping heart to all

Blood Pressure Chart - Normal Blood Pressure Range
One blood pressure reading means very little. The advice to "Have your blood pressure checked once a year" is useless. What time of day?

Automatic mean blood pressure reading device - Patent 4349034
A method for producing information indicative of the mean blood pressure of a living creature through indirect measurement, practiced in a system comprising

High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) - Texas Heart Institute Heart
A doctor taking a blood pressure reading. Blood pressure readings measure For example, a reading of 120/80 mm Hg means a systolic pressure of 120 mm Hg

Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)
A single reading showing high blood pressure doesn't necessarily mean that you have hypertension, but it is an indication that it should be watched

Discovery Health :: Center Article :: What Do the Numbers Mean?
What Do the Numbers Mean? By Elizabeth Scherer 7/01 . small text. large text. When your healthcare provider tells you your blood pressure reading,

Is Senility Preventable? High Blood Pressure Could Mean Higher
Just because you're getting older doesn't mean senility is inevitable. Those results were then measured against blood pressure readings obtained 20

Measuring Blood Pressure, what the numbers mean.
What do the numbers mean? When you have your blood pressure measured, it is written down High blood pressure can be a systolic reading of 140 or above,

Low blood pressure
The higher your blood pressure, the higher your risk of heart disease and stroke, whatever your level is. This means that someone with a blood pressure of


blood pressure readings mean
blood pressure menstrual cycle
blood pressure video games
blood pressure ear pain
control of blood pressure