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Northwest
Lipid Research Clinic Harborview Medical Center, Seattle WA University of Washington, Department of Medicine |
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| Northwest Lipid Research Clinic, Univ. of Washington, Seattle |
| Home Research studies Information about
cholesterol |
Glossary of Lipid
Words
|
| LIPID | The scientific word for "fat". Lipids are useful and necessary in our diets, and in our bodies. Unusually high or low lipids may cause health problems such as heart disease. |
| LIPOPROTEIN | Because fat and water don't mix, cholesterol and triglycerides are coated with protein to be carried in the blood. Lipoprotein particles contain cholesterol, triglyceride, and protein. |
| PLASMA CHOLESTEROL | Cholesterol is a normal component of the blood and is needed for formation of nerves, cell walls, and hormones. Most cholesterol is made in the liver but it also enters the body from food. Cholesterol in blood is transported in lipoproteins. The plasma cholesterol is the sum of the cholesterol carried in three important lipoproteins: high density lipoprotein (HDL), low density lipoprotein (LDL), and very low density lipoprotein (VLDL). |
| PLASMA TRIGLYCERIDE | The form of fat in the body's fat deposits is triglyceride. This is the fat that is formed when we eat more calories than we burn. Triglyceride is a source of stored energy, but can also be transported through the blood. High blood triglyceride increases risk for heart disease, especially in combination with other cholesterol problems. |
| VLDL CHOLESTEROL | Cholesterol carried by very low density lipoprotein. This lipoprotein fraction is formed in the liver, and carries the majority of triglyceride in the blood. |
| LDL CHOLESTEROL | Cholesterol carried by low density lipoprotein. Cholesterol carried in this lipoprotein is termed "the bad cholesterol", because increased quantities are associated with build up in blood vessel walls, increasing the risk of heart disease. LDL carries the majority of cholesterol in the body. |
| HDL CHOLESTEROL | Cholesterol carried by high density lipoprotein. HDL cholesterol is termed "the good cholesterol" because large amounts of HDL cholesterol are associated with lower risk of heart disease. |
| MG % or MG/DL | Milligrams per deciliter (tenth of a liter, or 100 cc); unit of measurement for quantity of cholesterol or triglyceride in the blood. |
| ATHEROSCLEROSIS | Thickening of the inner layer of the artery wall is caused by deposits of fatty substance and cells called plaque, or atherosclerotic plaque. (Athero means yellow and sclerosis means scarring.) Plaque narrows the diameter of the blood vessel and impedes blood flow. This narrowing may lead to chest or leg pain during exercise and increased risk of heart attack. Risk factors for atherosclerosis include: smoking, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, high blood sugar, family history of atherosclerosis (especially before the age of 55), and a sedentary lifestyle. |
Northwest
Lipid Research Clinic
Harborview Medical Center, Seattle WA
University
of Washington, Department of
Medicine
