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Article: LDL Cholesterol
- Article from:
- Encyclopedia of Public Health
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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LDL CHOLESTEROL
Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL cholesterol) is the "lousy" or "bad" cholesterol carried within a lipoprotein in the blood whose density, when serum is ultracentrifuged, lies between the very low-density (VLDL) and high-density (HDL) lipoproteins. Low-density lipoproteins are deposited by blood beneath the lining of arteries, where they are oxidized and stimulate the formation of cholesterol-containing foam cells, which are the abnormal cells responsible for the development ...