The PR Problem with Cholesterol
Cholesterol has one of the worst public relations stories in medical history. For decades, we’ve blamed it for every heart attack, stroke, and blocked artery — as if it sneaks around your bloodstream plotting sabotage. But the reality is more nuanced. Your body actually needs cholesterol. It’s essential for building cell membranes, producing hormones, and digesting food. In fact, if cholesterol completely disappeared from your system, you’d probably die — not from a heart attack, but from everything else failing first. So where did things go wrong? Let’s decode the real story.Meet the Two Faces of Cholesterol
Cholesterol doesn’t float freely in your blood like sugar or salt. It travels in “lipoproteins” — little carriers that act like delivery trucks. There are two main types you need to know:- LDL (Low-Density Lipoprotein): The so-called “bad” cholesterol. Think of it as a delivery truck that drops fat packages everywhere — including inside your arteries.
- HDL (High-Density Lipoprotein): The “good” cholesterol. It’s the cleanup crew — it picks up those leftover fat packages and returns them to the liver for recycling.
Why Indians Are at Greater Risk
Now, here’s where the Indian story gets complicated — and urgent. Multiple studies, including the INTERHEART and MASALA studies, have shown that Indians tend to have:- Higher LDL levels, even at a young age.
- Lower HDL levels, especially in urban populations.
- A dangerous pattern called “small dense LDL particles” — these are the most likely to stick to artery walls.
The Real Villain Isn’t Cholesterol — It’s Inflammation
Picture this: You get a tiny scratch inside your artery (due to smoking, sugar, stress, or high blood pressure). Now LDL — trying to be helpful — rushes in to “patch” the area. But if the inflammation doesn’t stop, more and more LDL keeps piling up like overenthusiastic workers. Soon, that patch turns into a plaque. And one day, the plaque bursts — causing a clot that blocks blood flow. That’s your heart attack. So cholesterol isn’t evil — it’s just trying to help in the wrong environment. The real villain? Chronic inflammation and oxidative stress.Deep Thinking: Why We Fear What We Don’t Understand
There’s a strange irony here. We spend our lives chasing “good” numbers — salary, marks, followers — but when it comes to cholesterol, we just want “low.” The truth is, health doesn’t work in absolutes. It’s not about low or high, it’s about balance and behavior. Your body isn’t a machine that runs on one metric. It’s a living ecosystem — and cholesterol is part of its ecology. When we demonize it, we miss the deeper question: What’s causing the imbalance in the first place? It’s not the egg yolk — it’s the stress, the sugar, the processed food, the sedentary life, the 5-hour sleep cycles, and the emotional pressure that never seems to end. We don’t just need low cholesterol. We need high awareness.What the Science Actually Says
Here’s the cheat sheet:- Total Cholesterol: Should ideally be below 200 mg/dL.
- LDL Cholesterol: Below 100 mg/dL is good; below 70 mg/dL if you already have heart disease.
- HDL Cholesterol: Above 40 mg/dL (men) and 50 mg/dL (women) is protective.
- Triglycerides: Keep under 150 mg/dL — they rise fast with sugar and alcohol.
