What Are Cholesterol Pockets?

For the bad rap that cholesterol gets, you might be surprised to learn that our bodies actually need moderate amounts of it in our blood. Yet, too much damage arteries. Part of that damage--cholesterol pockets--can be a side effect of a body defending itself against too much cholesterol.

Beginning

• Cholesterol forms plaque by seeping into the walls of arteries and forming lumps. The blood secretes macrophages, enzymes which erode holes in the plaque.

Function

• Those holes in plaque are filled by yet more cholesterol, which form pools.

Time Frame

• When several of those pools are proximate to one another, they form a larger structure called a cholesterol pocket.

Problems

• Cholesterol pockets can sometimes burst open into the arteries, tearing the arterial wall. When that happens, the body's clotting mechanism takes over. Within minutes, a clot is formed.

Effects

• If the scab becomes too large, it can form a clot and block blood flow through the artery.