If LDL and HDL cholesterol level is found at normal and ideal level in our fasting blood test, then should our arteries be also mostly normal without any obstruction of cholesterol?
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Having low cholesterol is a sign that your arteries are healthy. However, atherosclerosis, the buildup of cholesterol on the walls of arteries, happens naturally throughout a lifetime. Ways to reduce the speed of buildup is to reduce overall saturated fat intake. Saturated fats have been shown to increase LDL (low density lipoprotein) levels, whose function is to carry fats and cholesterols through the blood vessels. This is necessary because fats and cholesterol are lipids, and cannot dissolve freely in water, or in this case, blood. During times of stress, the cholesterol becomes sticky due to cortisol and sticks to walls of arteries, over time, this buildup can clog arteries. (this is one reason stress is affiliated with poor cardiovascular health). In contrast, regular exercise and a healthy diet have been shown to increase HDL (high density lipoprotein) levels. Their function is to clean cholesterol from arteries for various uses, such as producing bile in the liver. So to sum it all up, having good cholesterol levels ie. high HDL to LDL ratio, is a good indicator that your arteries are in good condition, however it can't tell you for certain that there isn't some atherosclerosis taking place.
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