Your health care professional can help determine your risk for a cardiovascular event like heart attack or stroke and help manage your cholesterol as one aspect of preventive care. Valley News/Getty Images photo
Family FeaturesSpecial to Valley NewsHigh cholesterol is one of the major controllable risk factors for coronary heart disease, heart attack and stroke, but typically shows no symptoms. Understanding the role cholesterol plays, potential risk factors and how to manage it are important aspects of protecting your heart health.LDL cholesterol or low-density lipoprotein is considered “bad” cholesterol because it contributes to fat buildup in the arteries while HDL cholesterol or high-density lipoprotein is considered “good” cholesterol as it can carry LDL cholesterol away from the arteries to be broken down and passed from the body.The LDL cholesterol level is important to monitor and is optimal when it is less than 100 for otherwise healthy people, according to the Ame
