How Cholesterol Works

If an artery is damaged, it invites the cholesterol to attach to its inner lining. Cholesterol will also accumulate in the cells surrounding the damaged artery. In the mean time, white blood cells, calcium and cellular debris accompany cholesterol to the site of damage within the artery.

Accumulated fat will continue to build into a bulge in the artery which results in the formation of scar tissue – a hard, shell-like covering fusing cholesterol and cellular structures. Cholesterol trapped by the scar tissue results in plaque.

A decrease in the supply of oxygen and cellular nutrients to the tissues is a characteristic of the buildup of plaque. It is caused by the narrowing of the artery which restricts the flow of blood and essential molecules.

The decrease in blood and oxygen supply leads to the reduction of elasticity of the blood vessels and can compromise the ability of the arteries to control blood pressure. If the narrowed arteries do not have enough oxygen in the blood flowing through, you may feel a certain pain.

The pain, called angina, originates from the heart and it usually occurs during times of stressful activities such as exercise. This is due to the fact that the heart requires more oxygen and can detect the lack of. Patients usually report feeling a pain in the left arm and shoulder, or chest region. Unfortunately, this process can sometimes happen without any tell tale symptoms.

Doctors usually perform tests to determine blockage and to identify heart disease. Since plaque varies in shape and size, some of the many small ones can be missed by these tests.

Because of their size, larger plaques used to garner the most attention. They were considered to cause more harm because of the likelihood to completely block the coronary arteries.

While angina is generally caused by large plaques, it is the smaller plaques that the medical community considers the more dangerous. If a smaller plaque is unstable and ruptures, it releases its contained cholesterol into the bloodstream. Clotting of the artery immediately follows the rupture. Blood clots could be large enough to completely stop the blood flow and produce a heart attack.