Heart Disease

Cholesterol and triglycerides cannot move through the artery wall unless they are carried inside a lipoprotein particle. Lipoprotein particles serve as the vehicles that transport cholesterol in the blood.

A lipoprotein particle has two parts

1. An inner core region of cholesterol and triglycerides
2. An outer shell

As lipoprotein particles move through the blood, they can enter the wall of an artery. As the number of lipoprotein particles increases in the blood, more particles move into the walls of arteries. Once inside the artery wall, lipoprotein particles undergo changes that lead to the formation of blockages inside the artery wall. These blockages grow over time leading to increased risk of heart attack.

That is why lipoproteins are so important. It is the number of lipoprotein particles that causes heart disease.

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