High Cholesterol, Explained in Less Than 2 Minutes

Cholesterol is a waxy, fatty substance that’s found in all the cells of your body. Your body needs it to do important jobs, such as making hormones and digesting fatty foods. Your body produces cholesterol to perform these duties — and it makes just the amount it needs.

It’s important to know that there are different types of cholesterol. There’s LDL (low-density lipoprotein), which is the bad kind, and then there’s HDL (high-density lipoprotein), which is the good kind. In this video, learn more about how cholesterol functions in the body and what are considered healthy cholesterol levels.

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Written by:

Lauren Smith, MA

Lauren Smith, MA, has worked in health journalism since 2017. Before joining GoodRx, she was the senior health editor and writer for HealthiNation.

Reviewed by:

Brian Clista, MD

Dr. Clista is a board-certified pediatrician who works in private practice in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He previously served as a National Health Service Corporation Scholar in the inner city of Pittsburgh for 11 years.

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