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High Cholesterol - What Happens
- Overview
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Health Tools
- FAQs
- Cause
- Symptoms
- What Happens
- What Increases Your Risk
- When to Call a Doctor
- Exams and Tests
- Treatment Overview
- Prevention
- Making Lifestyle Changes
- Medications
- Other Treatment
- Other Places To Get Help
- Related Information
- References
- Credits
Having high LDL cholesterol or having low HDL cholesterol can lead to the buildup of plaque in artery walls. This buildup is called atherosclerosis, and it can:
- Narrow your arteries. When enough plaque builds up, it starts to block your arteries. This happens slowly over many years. In time, the plaque can limit blood flow. The parts of your body that depend on the arteries for blood can suffer from lack of oxygen. This is called ischemia. If it's your heart muscle that isn't getting enough oxygen, you may have chest pain (angina).
- Harden your arteries. A healthy artery can widen (dilate) so that more blood can flow through when needed, such as during activity. When hard plaque forms in the walls of an artery, it can make the artery too stiff to widen. This "hardening" of your coronary arteries can also cause chest pain.
- Block your arteries. When a blood clot forms around a crack or rupture in the plaque, it can plug the artery. This damages tissues or organs that should receive blood from that artery. Men who smoke, have high cholesterol, or both have a greater chance of having a plaque rupture, causing a heart attack or sudden death.
See a picture of
how plaque causes a heart attack 
.
Atherosclerosis can lead to:
- Coronary artery disease
(CAD), which can cause chest pain,
heart attack,
heart failure, or irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia). For more information, see the topic
Coronary Artery Disease.
- Stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). Atherosclerosis, when it affects arteries that supply blood to the brain, may lead to a stroke or TIA. For more information, see the topics Stroke and Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA).
- Peripheral arterial disease, which is caused by atherosclerosis in blood vessels that supply blood to the legs, arms, and other parts of the body. Reduced blood flow to the legs may cause pain or cramps in the calf, thigh, or rear end (buttock). For more information, see the topic Peripheral Arterial Disease of the Legs.
Use the
Interactive Tool: Are You at Risk for a Heart Attack? 
More information |
| By: | Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: April 22, 2011 |
| Medical Review: | E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine Carl Orringer, MD - Cardiology, Clinical Lipidology | |
© 1995-2011 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
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