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.

cause of elevated blood pressure
High blood pressure - what is hypertension?
If your blood pressure is high it causes strain on the vessels carrying blood around High blood pressure can cause kidney failure, some eye conditions,

What is blood pressure?
In some people, high blood pressure is the result of another medical problem or medication. When the cause is known, this is called secondary high blood

High blood pressure - hypertension symptoms, cause, treatment and risk
BUPA health factsheet - high blood pressure (hypertension) and its symptoms, the cause, available treatment and the risk related to the condition.

What Causes High Blood Pressure?
In 90 to 95 percent of people with high blood pressure, doctors do not know what causes it. High blood pressure with an unknown cause is called essential,

What Causes High Blood Pressure? Your Guide to Lowering HBP
doctor taking blood pressure The causes of high blood pressure vary. Causes may include narrowing of the arteries, a greater than normal volume of blood,

Step 3: What causes high blood pressure?
Certain medications can also cause high blood pressure as a side effect. Make sure to ask your doctor or pharmacist about the side effects of the

Heartpoint: High Blood Pressure Information
A "Coarctation" (or narrowing) of the aorta can cause high blood pressure in a manner similar to Renal Artery Stenosis noted above.

High Blood Pressure: Heart and Blood Vessel Disorders: Merck
Many kidney disorders can cause high blood pressure, because the kidneys are important in In most people, high blood pressure causes no symptoms,

High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) - What causes high blood
Elevated blood pressure readings may not always mean that you have high blood pressure. For some people, just being in a medical setting causes their blood

High Blood Pressure - Causes
Kidney damage is generally the cause of high blood pressure in type 1 diabetes. Obesity and insulin resistance are the factors associated with hypertension

High Blood Pressure - Things you can do to help lower yours
High blood pressure that can be linked to a specific cause, such as a disease or drug, is called secondary hypertension. But most often the exact cause

High blood pressure (hypertension)
For more than 90 per cent of people with high blood pressure, the cause is unknown. This is called 'primary' or 'essential hypertension'.

High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) - Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis
Consumer health resource center providing an overview of hypertension and its causes, symptoms and treatment.

High blood pressure (hypertension) - causes, treatments and
Isolated systolic high blood pressure; White coat high blood pressure; Borderline high blood pressure. What causes high blood pressure?

Secondary high blood pressure: When another condition causes
This condition occurs when the thyroid gland doesn't produce enough thyroid hormone, which can cause high blood pressure. Hypothyroidism may have various

High Blood Pressure: Things You Can Do to Help Lower Yours
In some people, alcohol causes blood pressure to rise quite a lot. In other people, it doesn't. If you drink alcohol, limit it to no more than 1 or 2 drinks

Anxiety: A cause of high blood pressure? - MayoClinic.com
Anxiety can cause dramatic, temporary increases in blood pressure.

What Causes High Blood Pressure?
In 90 to 95 percent of high blood pressure cases, the cause is unknown.

High Blood Pressure Causes
In most cases, scientists don't know what causes high blood pressure, but they've developed ways to treat it effectively and identified factors that tend to


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