Cholesterol is a type of fat produced by the liver needed to regulate a number of physiological functions. In the body, cholesterol is transported together with substances called lipoproteins.
If the cholesterol that circulates in the blood is high (above 200 milligrams per deciliter) diagnosis is hypercholesterolemia, which can be hereditary (these people may have high cholesterol in young age), and their development can be enhanced by an unhealthy diet or too much heat that leads to overweight or obese. A diet rich in saturated fat can promote the emergence and development of hypercholesterolemia, the ability of this type of fat raise blood cholesterol levels.
By the action of oxygen circulating in the blood, lipoproteins are oxidized and tend to accumulate cholesterol in the arteries carry about hindering the passage of blood through them, thereby increasing the risk of atherosclerosis and heart attack.