Over the years, researchers have shown a strong link between high cholesterol and heart disease (also known as cardiovascular disease). While our bodies need cholesterol to make new cells, high cholesterol can cause atherosclerosis, which leads to heart complications like angina, coronary artery disease, and heart
attacks.
Both men and women are affected by heart disease and it is important to make sure that you are getting the right heart disease treatment and that you stay on your heart medications.
While you cannot control some heart disease risk factors, such as your family history or your age, there are many risk factors for heart disease that you can change and improve, such as eating a low-fat diet, getting enough exercise, losing weight, lowering
blood cholesterol, and managing other health problems associated with heart disease, such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
And here is something to be optimistic about: cholesterol studies show that for every 1% decrease in blood cholesterol, there is a 2% decrease in the likelihood of a heart attack.