To help avoid heart disease and stroke, you need to maintain the proper ratio between good and total cholesterol.

A high cholesterol level doesn't have obvious symptoms, but it can increase your risk for conditions that do have symptoms.

Cholesterol plaques begin in artery walls and grow for years, slowly blocking blood flow in the arteries.

Here's a list of questions and answers you may have about cholesterol, how to manage it, and how to treat it.

Results of your blood test will come in the form of numbers. Here’s how to interpret your cholesterol numbers.

Do you have "borderline" high cholesterol? That means your cholesterol level is above normal but not in the "high" range.

The goal is a lower LDL and a higher HDL to prevent and manage heart disease.

High cholesterol can raise your risk of heart attack and stroke, but you don’t want your levels to be too low either.

Very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) is regarded as bad cholesterol. VLDL and LDL are considered more harmful than HDL.

HDL is short for high-density lipoprotein. HDL cholesterol is the well-behaved "good cholesterol."

If high HDL is good, are higher numbers even better? Not necessarily. With HDL, you can have too much of a good thing.

Although it's a common problem, many of us don't know the first thing about high triglycerides.

Anyone can develop high levels of triglycerides, a type of blood fat, but certain factors can make them likelier in women.

Some people have high triglycerides because they inherited a genetic predisposition from their parents.

A good diet and exercise plan can lower triglyceride levels, improve cholesterol, and decrease the chance of heart disease.

You’ve taken a big step to protect your heart by taking medicine. But triglyceride meds can have side effects.

Exercise can help you lower unhealthy triglyceride levels. Start with 20-30 minutes of aerobic activity.

When your triglyceride levels are too high, you may not have symptoms. It's a "silent" problem with big implications.

Many things contribute to high cholesterol, some of which you can control and others you can't.

Here are some steps you can take right now to keep your cholesterol numbers in a healthy range.

Avoiding things that raise your LDL or lower your HDL cholesterol can help keep your levels in a healthy range.

If you’re watching your cholesterol, you’re probably wary of foods known to be high in it.

A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, and good fats can help lower what’s called “bad cholesterol.”

While we know that saturated fats can raise your cholesterol, there can be another culprit: A diet high in sugary foods.

Here’s what you need to know about the possible connection between coffee and high cholesterol.

 Every 10 pounds you’re overweight causes your body to produce as much as 10 milligrams of extra cholesterol every day.

Researchers are studying the idea that testosterone is linked to cholesterol in some way.

Adults are not the only people affected by high cholesterol. Children also may have high levels of cholesterol.

Homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia is a disorder where it is hard for your body to remove LDL "bad" cholesterol.

Heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia can cause your cholesterol numbers to go way up.

To assess your cholesterol level, your doctor will usually ask for a simple blood test called a lipoprotein profile.

How often do you need a cholesterol test? That depends on whom you ask. Guidelines can be inconsistent.

A complete cholesterol test checks your blood to see if your cholesterol and triglycerides are at a healthy level.

The different kinds of cholesterol and other fats in your blood are together called lipids.

An ApoB test helps your doctor analyze whether or not you are at risk for heart disease.

Cholesterol home test kits are available to use between appointments with your health care provider.

Fasting means you don't eat or drink anything but water usually for 8 to 12 hours beforehand.

Your high cholesterol care team depends on things like how high your levels are, what’s causing it, and other conditions.

Lipidologists work with primary care doctors and cardiologists to make prevention or treatment plans around cholesterol.

You can treat high cholesterol with healthy lifestyle changes like diet, exercise, and weight loss and, sometimes, meds too.

If you’re diagnosed with high cholesterol, will you need to start taking a statin or other medication? Not always.

Several types of prescription drugs can lower LDL. Get to know what each of them does.

Repatha is an approved medicine for adults and children with heart disease. which lowers bad cholesterol (LDL).

If you’re taking medicine to lower your cholesterol, there may be times when it makes you feel less than your best.

As with any medical condition, an aggressive high cholesterol treatment plan can come with a hefty price tag.

Doctors and scientists keep studying cholesterol to see what else they can learn about it.

Most people who take statin drugs tolerate them very well. But some people have side effects.

Statins can cause some unwanted symptoms, such as muscle pain.

A statin intolerance occurs when you have an allergy to the drug or develop a negative side effect.

When statins don’t work, doctors sometimes call it statin resistance.

PCSK9 inhibitors are a new class of drugs that lower LDL, or “bad,” cholesterol.

There are many alternative treatments that claim to lower cholesterol. Before you try any, talk to your doctor.

When you’re trying to lower cholesterol or triglycerides, you may end up in a vitamin shop, facing dozens of supplements.

Omega-3 fatty acids are healthy fats that have been promoted for a variety of heart, brain, and other health benefits.

If you’re managing your cholesterol, you know food plays a big part. Plant sterols and stanols have a valuable role.

Red yeast rice extract (RYRE) is a traditional Chinese medicine that has been purported to lower cholesterol.

Even if your doctor prescribes meds for you, you still need to adjust your everyday life to control your cholesterol.

Your doctor may suggest you track your progress toward healthy cholesterol levels with the use of a cholesterol diary.

There isn’t good evidence to show that dietary cholesterol alone can raise your odds of heart disease.

If you have high cholesterol, you should talk with your doctor about what you eat, including meat.

Eggs contain cholesterol, which creates confusion as to whether they’re considered healthy.

Many believe that the main benefit of alcohol comes from its ability to raise HDL "good" cholesterol levels.

Many restaurants offer delicious, heart-healthy meals. These tips will help you make eating out healthy and enjoyable.

Can dedicated weight training reduce your high cholesterol by itself?

Feeling under pressure for a long time can raise your risk of high cholesterol and even heart disease.

Your sleep quality affects many aspects of your health, including your cholesterol levels.