LDL (bad) cholesterol

LDL cholesterol, also known as bad cholesterol, is one of the two best-known cholesterol types. It is called the bad cholesterol simply because too much is harmful for our health. LDL cholesterol slowly cumulates in the inner walls of the arteries, which supply the heart and brain, and forms thickenings which narrow the arteries and make them less flexible. This phenomenon is called atherosclerosis. When this thickening does not improve over time, a clot forms and prevents the blood flow in the artery, which can lead to a heart attack or a stroke.

An optimal LDL cholesterol is below the value of 3 mmil/l, which can be measured with a blood analysis. Whilst diet and lifestyle influences the amount of LDL cholesterol in your body, genetic makeup is a key influence to the levels of LDL cholesterol in your body. In our analysis, we have included genes which are the most closely connected to the regulation of LDL cholesterol and have a great influence on it. The combination of all the analysed genes gives reliable information about the level of LDL cholesterol determined by your genes.