Health Effects of Lipids As you learned in the previous lab, a diet high in saturated and trans fats raises total and LDL blood cholesterol, while unsaturated fats have the opposite effect. But what does this mean? What is the connection between blood cholesterol levels and risk for cardiovascular disease?

Health Effects of Lipids

As you learned in the previous lab, a diet high in saturated and trans fats raises total and LDL blood cholesterol, while unsaturated fats have the opposite effect. But what does this mean? What is the connection between blood cholesterol levels and risk for cardiovascular disease?

When LDL blood cholesterol levels are elevated, LDL cholesterol can precipitate out of blood and deposit in arterial walls, contributing to plaque formation. Plaque buildup restricts arterial blood flow and raises blood pressure which can lead to cardiovascular disease (CVD).

To assess risk for CVD, a physician may order a blood lipid profile which measures the amount of each type of blood lipid, with the exception of LDL blood cholesterol. LDL cholesterol is not measured directly, but instead is computed by plugging the measurements for total cholesterol, HDL and triglyerides into a formula called the Friedewald equation (named for the developer, William Friedeman).

Friedewald equation:

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