Cholesterol is an odorless tasteless, white fatty alcohol (sterol) found in all animal tissue. It is an essential component of all cell membranes and is vital to cell survival and growth.

Although cholesterol is important to human body, excessive amount of this can lead to heart disease. The excess cholesterol can obstruct the arteries, and can lead to arteriosclerosis. Cholesterol cannot move through the body by itself. It therefore combines chemically with certain proteins produced in the liver. The molecule formed by the cholesterol and protein is called lipoprotein.

Two Important Lipoprotein:

• Low Density Lipoprotein - is responsible for transporting cholesterol from the liver to other parts of the body.
• High Density Lipoprotein - is responsible for removing unused cholesterol from the tissue cells and artery walls and carries it back to the liver, where it is chemically broken down into simpler substances.

In some persons, unused cholesterol accumulates on the artery wall and form plaques, fatty deposits that contribute to arteriosclerosis or hardening of the arteries. This accumulation is caused mostly by LDL, that's why it is often called the "bad cholesterol." The HDL is often called the "good cholesterol" because they remove cholesterol in the blood stream. The proportion of LDL and HDL in the blood is greatly influenced by diet, exercise and the person emotional situation.

Symptoms: The process is complicated, nevertheless, the process is that the cells connected to the blood vessel walls fill with cholesterol form platelets (made of fat, cells and cell waste). These end up producing fat-filled veins (Atherosclerosis) that slowly obstruct the flow of oxygenated blood, causing a heart attack or apoplexy. The symptoms of this obstruction will be manifest according to the area obstructed.

Atherosclerosis - is the thickening, narrowing and hardening of arteries with subsequent loss of elasticity due to the accumulation of fats(plaque) in the inner layer of the arteries.

If the obstruction occurs in the arteries that supply blood to the head, the symptoms are :

• Facial paralysis, and/or blindness in only one eye
• Person will have difficulty in speaking
• Person has difficulty in remembering
• Mental confusion
• Headache

If the obstruction is in the coronary arteries (or in the aorta to which they connect) that supply oxygenated blood to the heart muscles, the result is will be cardiac arrest.