What is cholesterol, and why does it matter?

The Good and the Bad

You might have heard about good cholesterol and bad cholesterol. You may know someone in your family, perhaps a parent or grandparent, who has high cholesterol. What is cholesterol, and why does it matter?

Put simply, cholesterol is a fatty substance found in our bodies. We need cholesterol to help our bodies work properly. The problem starts when there’s too much cholesterol, more specifically, where there’s too much bad cholesterol and not enough good cholesterol. That causes clogged-up arteries, which could, chas v’shalom, lead to heart attacks and strokes.

Your body starts collecting cholesterol in your arteries during childhood, and even more so as a teen. So what can you do about it?