Cholesterol

CholesterolCholesterol is one of the major fat-soluble compounds that is found in animal plasma membranes. It is necessary for life and is found throughout the body. It is carried from the liver to the tissues where it is needed by lipoproteins of which it is a component. Much of the cholesterol is transported in Low density lipoproteins (LDL). High levels... Read more about this term is one of the major fat-soluble compounds that is found in animal plasma membranes. It is necessary for life and is found throughout the body. It is carried from the liver to the tissues where it is needed by lipoproteinsLipoproteins are particles comprised of protein and lipids, with a core of triglycerides and cholesterol esters and an outer layer of phospholipids. Lipoproteins transport lipids through the bloodstream. LDL-lipoproteins carry cholesterol from the liver to the body tissues. HDL- lipoproteins carry cholesterol back to the liver from the body tissues. LDL-lipoproteins also bind and transport Coenzyme Q10 molecules, predominately in... Read more about this term of which it is a component. Much of the cholesterol is transported in Low density lipoproteins (LDLSee lipoproteins.). High levels of LDL lipoproteins are associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease.
Cholesterol is transported back to the liver from the tissues as a component of High density lipoproteins (HDL). Low levels of HDL lipoproteins are associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease.
One theory of heart disease holds that cholesterol builds up inside the arteries whenever there is too much cholesterol in the blood. The cholesterol attaches itself to the inner walls of the arteries as a component of plaque. The build-up of plaque inside the arteries leads to a diminished supply of blood to the heart. See atherosclerosisAtherosclerosis is the thickening of the artery walls brought about by the build-up of plaque (plaque is made up of cholesterol and other fatty substances and waste products and calcium and fibrin) and the subsequent slowing of the flow of blood through the clogged arteries. More research is needed into the role of Coenzyme Q10 in the prevention and adjunct... Read more about this term.
Cholesterol-inhibiting medications, called statinsStatins are a class of medications that effectively block the body’s synthesis of cholesterol. In so doing, statins also block the body’s synthesis of Coenzyme Q10.... Read more about this term, inhibit not only the body’s synthesis of cholesterol but also the body’s synthesis of Coenzyme Q10Coenzyme Q10 molecules are fat-soluble molecules that are both bsynthesized in the body and ingested in the diet and in supplements. Coenzyme Q10 is synthesized in the body in the same biological pathway as cholesterol. Bio-synthesis of Coenzyme Q10 begins to decline once humans reach their adult years. The reduced production of Coenzyme Q10 cannot be compensated in any practical... Read more about this term, making Coenzyme Q10 supplementation especially important for people taking a statin medication.