What Are the Risks of Having Too Much Cholesterol in a Diet?

High cholesterol increases a person's risk for serious health problems such as heart disease and stroke. Controlling the amount of cholesterol in your diet is key to a healthier lifestyle.

Time Frame

• It happens slowly and silently, yet cholesterol (in the form of plaque) can build up over time on artery walls and result in some form of heart disease.

Effects

• The buildup of plaque on artery walls eventually leads to a thickening or hardening of the artery wall known as artherosclerosis.

Potential

• As artery walls become thicker and the openings in the arteries become narrower, less blood flows through the arteries to the heart, which is called coronary heart disease.

Warning

• Less blood flow to the heart means less oxygen is carried to the heart. This may cause chest pain, or "angina," an early warning sign of pending heart attacks.

Types

• Reduced or blocked blood flow to the heart results in a heart attack and less flow to the brain results in a stroke.

Theories/Speculation

• While not a direct contributor, high cholesterol plays a role in the formation of gallstones.