EFFECTS FROM HIGH CHOLESTEROL
- Narrows your arteries. When enough plaque builds up, it starts to narrow your arteries. This happens slowly over many years. In time, the plaque can limit blood flow throughout your body, including the heart and brain.
- Hardens your arteries. A healthy artery can widen (dilate)
so that more blood can flow through when needed, such as during activity.
When hard plaque forms in the walls of an artery, it can make
the artery too stiff to widen. This "hardening" of your arteries
can also limit blood flow in your body. - Blocks your arteries. When a blood clot forms around a crack or rupture in the plaque, it can block the artery. This can cause a heart attack or stroke.