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Why Your Heart Wants You to Pay Attention to Your Cholesterol

Cholesterol can be a tricky thing to understand, especially when you're not exactly sure what your levels mean and how they can affect the various aspects of your body - including your heart.

So, what is cholesterol? What does it have to do with heart disease? Simply put, cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance found in your blood. It is essential to certain cell functions in your body, such as digesting foods, producing hormones, converting vitamin D in the skin and creating new cells. Your liver makes cholesterol for your body, but you also get cholesterol from eating certain foods, such as meat, poultry and full-fat dairy. Cholesterol travels through the bloodstream in "packages" called lipoproteins. There are two kinds:

  • Low-density lipoproteins (LDLs), also known as "bad" cholesterol, join with other substances to form a thick, hard deposit, called plaque on the walls of your arteries.
  • High-density lipoproteins (HDLs), also known as "good" cholesterol, remove cholesterol from the bloodstream and the artery walls.

If the total amount of cholesterol in your blood is too high, more plaque builds up over time, eventually limiting the flow of oxygen-rich blood to your heart. This can cause coronary heart disease (CHD) to develop, which can lead to even more serious health issues, like blood clots, heart attack or a stroke.

Most of the time, you can control your cholesterol levels through a healthy diet and lifestyle, which will lower your risk of cardiovascular health issues. For a small percentage of people, however, high cholesterol is sometimes caused by genetically inherited cholesterol-related disorders that cannot be controlled with diet or other lifestyle changes. That's why it's so important to know your numbers and monitor them on an ongoing basis.

Talk to your doctor about what HDL and LDL levels are healthy, and what can be done to lower risks. Routine blood tests can show your cholesterol levels. To learn about what other factors may be affecting your risk for cardiovascular disease, take our free heart health assessment.

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Why Choose Us?

We understand that experiencing potential heart-related symptoms can be concerning, especially when the cause isn't immediately clear. At Cedar Park Regional Medical Center, we are committed to getting to the heart of the matter by offering a wide range of cardiac services—from screenings and evaluations to helping you adopt a heart-healthy lifestyle and improve your overall well-being. The heart and vascular team includes multi-specialty cardiac professionals dedicated to providing quality cardiovascular care right here in Cedar Park, Texas.

As a Primary Stroke Center, we follow established best practices in heart care to ensure our patients receive accurate diagnoses and effective treatment plans. Our advanced diagnostic and imaging capabilities allow us to detect heart disease early—when intervention is most effective. If critical heart care is needed, we focus on timely treatment to minimize heart damage, reduce disruption to your life and provide personalized guidance on the best course of action for your heart health.

Our facilities include interventional cardiology suites equipped with technology to support the diagnosis and treatment of various cardiac conditions. These suites allow us to perform procedures such as diagnostic catheterizations and stenting. We also offer electrophysiology services for the treatment of arrhythmias, including atrial fibrillation (AFib).

Our Distinctions:

  • Level IV Trauma Designation
  • STEMI Receiving Center
  • Primary Stroke Center

Our Services Include:

  • Arterial blood gas (ABG) testing
  • Cardiac calcium scoring
  • Cardiac catheterization lab
  • Cardiac stress testing
  • Cardiac screening & evaluation
  • Cardioversion
  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) & asthma management
  • Diagnostic & interventional cardiac procedures
  • Electrophysiology
  • Holter monitoring (24 & 48 hour)
  • Pulmonary function testing
  • Nuclear/chemical stress testing
  • Pacemaker & AICD implants
  • Stress echocardiogram
  • Stress testing

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