HDL and LDL Cholesterol

Many people have heard that there is more than one type of cholesterol, that waxy substance that can’t dissolve in blood and so is transported by lipoproteins, carriers that are partly fat (lipid) and partly protein. According to the American Heart Association, LDL or low-density lipoprotein is considered ‘bad’ cholesterol because it contributes to plaque, a thick, hard deposit that can clog arteries and make them less flexible. HDL or high-density lipoprotein, is considered good cholesterol because it acts as a scavenger, carrying ‘bad LDL’ cholesterol away from the arteries and back to the liver where the LDL is broken down and then excreted from the body. [Lp(a) is a genetic variation of LDL (bad) cholesterol that may contribute to the buildup of fatty deposits.]