What effect does smoking have on cholesterol?
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The Curious Bag
ANSWERS: 1
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Smoking is bad for your health for many well-known reasons. But one lesser-known reason is that it can have a negative effect on your cholesterol levels, which in turn can negatively impact your overall health.
Identification
Cholesterol is a waxy substance found in all of your body's cells. It's transported to and from the cells by carriers called lipoproteins.
Risk
Cholesterol has some necessary bodily functions, but improper levels can raise risks of heart disease and stroke.
LDL (Low-Density Lipoprotein) Cholesterol
LDL is known as the "bad" cholesterol. Smoking increases LDL levels, which build up on the walls of your arteries.
HDL (High-Density Lipoprotein) Cholesterol
HDL is known as the "good" cholesterol. In a 1990 study conducted at the University of Louisville in Kentucky, subjects who smoked just one cigarette decreased their total HDL by 10 percent (see reference 2).
Why HDL is Good Cholesterol
Experts believe that HDL has a tendency to carry cholesterol away from the arteries and back to the liver, where it is passed from the body.
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