Cholesterol Medication or Cholesterol is essential for human life. It builds and repairs cells, it is used to produce sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone, it is converted to bile acids to help you digest food and it is found in large amounts in brain and nerve tissue. The liver produces enough cholesterol to satisfy these functions. Two types of cholesterol--high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol--have become quite familiar to most people concerned with the health of their heart and blood vessels.

HDL cholesterol: HDL cholesterol is the good cholesterol because high concentrations in the blood are associated with a low risk of heart attack. HDL contains more protein than triglycerides or cholesterol and helps remove cholesterol from artery walls. HDL carries cholesterol from body cells to the liver, either to be reused, converted to bile acids or disposed of in the bile.

LDL cholesterol: LDL cholesterol is the bad cholesterol that's associated with a higher risk of heart disease. LDL becomes oxidized and deposits in the walls of arteries to initiate the condition known as "atherosclerosis," or hardening of the arteries. This condition causes 500,000 heart attacks each year. Others risk factors that may contribute to atherosclerosis are a family history of the disease, age, male sex, cigarette smoking, hypertension and diabetes mellitus.

Although cholesterol is vital to a variety of life-sustaining functions, too much cholesterol in your blood is a major risk factor for heart disease. Excessive cholesterol can cause buildup of atherosclerotic plaque. Accumulation of plaque in arteries can block blood flow and lead to a heart attack. To understand how excessive cholesterol occurs, consider how cholesterol travels in your body. Cholesterol doesn't dissolve in water. Therefore, to circulate through your blood (which is mostly made up of water), cholesterol and triglycerides (another lipid in the blood) combine with proteins to form lipoproteins.

You may help to prevent high cholesterol by staying on a healthy diet. This means switching from high-atherosclerotic  (eggs, fatty red meats, palm or coconut oil, dairy products made with whole milk) to fresh fruits and vegetables, whole-grain breads and cereals, and low-fat dairy products. You can treat high cholesterol by eating a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet and by taking medications to lower cholesterol. The specific treatment plan will depend on your cholesterol level (including LDL cholesterol) and on your history of coronary artery disease or risk factors for coronary artery disease.