Why should you worry about high cholesterol? Because it can kill you. Having cholesterol levels that are too high dramatically increases your risks of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. This is because high cholesterol levels can cause build up along the walls of your arteries, slowing down the flow of blood to where it needs to go.

Cholesterol is needed by your body to build new cells. The waxy substance is also used for other functions, such as producing bile and hormones. However, sometimes the body produces too much. You could also be increasing the amount of cholesterol in your system by the foods you eat. The more fatty foods that you eat, the more likely it is that you will have higher cholesterol levels.