Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol

Cholesterol and triglycerides are fats and are insoluble in the blood. However, when they combine with protein they became lipoproteins and are able to dissolve in and be carried by blood throughout body.

Low density lipoprotein (LDL) is cholesterol packaged in a protein and phospholipid coat. Cholesterol is insoluble, so it must be encased in this coat to facilitate transport in the blood.

 

LDL is the major cholesterol carrier to the periphery and supplies the cholesterol essential for the integrity of nerve tissue, steroid hormone synthesis, and cell membranes. It circulates throughout the body and is available to all cells.

As LDL circulates in the blood it may adhered to arterial walls which feed the heart and brain. When there is too much LDL cholesterol circulating in the blood, it can slowly build up in the walls of the arteries that feed the heart and brain. It forms plaque and may result in a blockage in the artery which may lead to arthrosclerosis.

The association between elevated plasma cholesterol carried in LDL and the risk of coronary heart disease has been well established. LDL is also sometimes called the ‘bad’ cholesterol.
Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol