High cholesterol increases your risk for heart attack and stroke. There are no symptoms and it is often diagnosed during routine blood tests. Learn about prevention and treatment.

Information about high cholesterol in children, what your child's cholesterol levels should be, and how to lower your child's cholesterol levels through lifestyle changes such as diet, exercise, and more.

Cholesterol lowering medications may be associated with side effects. Get a list of cholesterol lowering medications, including statins, PCSK9 inhibitors, bile acid sequestrants, cholesterol absorption inhibitors, nicotinic acid agents, and fibrates.

High cholesterol puts a person at risk for a heart attack or stroke. You can lower your cholesterol naturally with diet and exercise. Eating a heart healthy diet, for example, the Mediterranean Diet consists of healthy fats, lots of veggies, fruits, beans, and lentils.

Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like waxy substance that the body needs to make cell membranes and perform other vital functions. HDL ("good") and LDL ("bad") cholesterol are fat-proteins called "lipoproteins" that carry cholesterol through the blood. Elevated LDL and low HDL cholesterol levels increases your risk of heart attack, stroke, and other serious medical problems.

A cholesterol test measures the total blood cholesterol in a person's body. Cholesterol blood test results are broken down and easy to understand, which includes total, HDL (good), and LDL (bad) cholesterol, and triglycerides. Fasting for cholesterol tests is required, and caffeine is not allowed until the test has been completed.

Learn about the causes and symptoms of hardening of the arteries (arteriosclerosis), a disorder in which blood vessels become narrowed, possibly leading to heart attack and stroke.

Read information about understanding your cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Cholesterol charts, find out what your cholesterol numbers mean and what they should be.

What is asthma? What causes asthma, and who gets it? What's the difference between allergies and asthma? Can asthma attacks be prevented? Get answers to all your asthma questions.

Read the Gardasil HPV Vaccine FAQ to find out what type of vaccine this is (for genital warts), who should receive this vaccine, and important side effect information.

There are many types of hernias: inguinal, umbilical, femoral, incisional, epigastric, and Spigelian. When an organ passes through an opening in tissue or muscle, that is called a hernia. Learn about symptoms, causes, surgery, treatment, and prevention.

Find answers to frequently asked osteoporosis questions, including causes, symptoms, treatment, prevention, risks, and more.

Statins are a class of drugs prescribed to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol. Common side effects are muscle pain, leg pain, vomiting, and stomach cramps. Drug and food interactions, effectiveness, and the safety of statins are provided.

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a group of different types of heart disease. Common heart disease symptoms include chest pain, shortness of breath, palpitations, light-headedness, and dizziness. Heart disease has many causes, including genetics, atherosclerosis, and smoking. Treatment for heart disease depends on the cause.

Peripheral vascular disease (peripheral artery disease or PVD) causes narrowing of blood vessels to the body (other than the brain and heart). Learn about symptoms and treatment.

Gallstones (gallbladder stones) symptoms like abdominal pain after eating fatty or greasy meal. Learn if diet has a role in the formation of gallstones and the potential for surgical treatment.

Common health tests may be performed in your doctor's office or even in the pharmacy. Regular health checks and screening for certain diseases and conditions have become routine for most. Read about recommended health tests.

How can you lower high levels of C-reactive protein? C-reactive protein is an inflammation marker in the body. C-reactive protein levels increase when there is inflammation in the body. Elevated c-reactive protein levels in the body may put you at risk for heart attack or stroke.

Menopause refers to the time in life at which a woman no longer menstruates. The average age of menopause is 51. Learn about symptoms, treatment, and supplements.

Learn more about primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), a liver disease with symptoms like edema, fatigue, itching, jaundice, xanthomas, and cancer. Treatment for PBC depends on the cause.

Learn the definition of metabolic syndrome, the criteria for which are insulin resistance, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, heart disease, and obesity. Get facts on special diets, lifestyle changes, and treatment for the condition.

Elevated triglycerides are a type of lipid disorder. Lipids are a type of fat transported through the bloodstream. Triglyceride tests diagnose elevated levels of lipids in the blood, which may occur alone or with other lipid disorders (high or low LDL cholesterol). Kidney and liver disease, obesity, and medications can cause high lipid levels. Treatments include diet, lifestyle changes, and medication.

Understanding the food pyramid, nutritional information, and calorie counts on food labels is essential for weight loss and disease prevention. Learn about diet and nutrition.

Although diet doesn't directly cause gallbladder problems -- and it won't cure them -- watching what you eat and keeping a healthy weight might help you prevent gallstones from forming and avoid some discomfort if you do develop gallstones.

The late effects of childhood cancer and its treatment are health problems that manifest months or years after treatment has ended. Learn the common long-term effects, risks, survival rates, and types of childhood cancer.

What causes diabetes, what tests diagnose it, and what is a good diabetic diet? Learn the signs of being diabetic, and the differences between type 1 vs. type 2 diabetes. Read about causes, complications, prognosis and treatments.

Read about heart attack (myocardial infarction) signs and symptoms in men or women, treatment, causes, risks, recovery times, and how to prevent.

Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a condition in which the heart can't pump enough blood and oxygen to the body's tissues. Learn about symptoms and treatment.

Healthy lifestyles for seniors' is an important part of the aging process. Healthy eating, keeping up on medications and tests, and regular exercise can help prevent disease and extend your life.

Angina (ischemic chest pain) causes include heart disease, coronary artery spasm, and other conditions. Risk factors include high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, high cholesterol, family history, aging, a sedentary lifestyle, and stimulant use.

Read about breastfeeding tips, the benefits of breast milk versus baby formula, and treatment of sore nipples. Read how mothers should position baby while nursing, and learn latching-on skills.

What is included in a general medical checkup? Learn about the different types of preventive measures your doctor may use at your checkup, and find out how often physical exams are recommended.

Rhabdomyolysis is a condition involving damage to the skeletal muscle or muscles of the body. Learn about causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and recovery.

Read about transient ischemic attack (TIA) or mini-stroke symptoms such as the inability to feel or move one side of the body, speech and vision difficulties, confusion, and the inability to follow commands.

Understand about high blood pressure (hypertension) causes such as heart disease, kidney disease, tumors, birth control, alcohol, thyroid dysfunction and birth control pills. Find out what the normal ranges for high blood pressure are, and when to seek medical care for high blood pressure.

With binge eating disorder, a person binge eats but doesn't purge. Treatment for binge eating disorder may involve psychotherapy and medications. Learn more about symptoms, causes, and risk factors of binge eating disorder.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is due to a gradual, and usually, permanent loss of kidney function. Chronic kidney disease may progress over time without any symptoms until the function of the kidneys is very minimal. When symptoms do occur, they include frequent urination, fatigue, and high blood pressure. There are four stages of chronic kidney disease. Treatment depends on the stage of the disease.

Read about stroke symptoms such as dizziness, sudden headache, weakness in an arm or leg on the same side, weakness in the muscles of the face, difficulty speaking, and vision problems. Learn about stroke causes, types, signs, treatment, recovery, prognosis, prevention, and more.

Fatty liver disease refers to the buildup of fat within the liver. Learn about non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) or non-alcoholic fatty liver steatohepatitis (NASH).

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is a non-surgical method performed to open narrowed or blocked coronary arteries. Types of PCI include balloon angioplasty and the use of drug-coated stents. PCI can be used to treat heart attacks, angina, and other circulatory system problems.

Learn about various health impacts of aging, including osteoarthritis, cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, dementia, alzheimer's disease, glaucoma, cataracts, diverticulosis, weakened bones, denture problems, depression, fatigue, forgetfulness, urinary incontinence, and more.

What is dementia? Stroke (brain attack) is a disease of the blood vessels in and around the brain. It occurs when part of the brain does not receive enough blood to function normally. Read about symptoms, signs, stages, diagnosis, treatment, life expectancy, and other facts of vascular dementia.

Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) is a rapid heart rate that affects the upper ventricles of the heart. In contrast, a heart attack is a severe reduction or complete blockage of blood to one or more segments of the coronary arteries that can cause death of heart muscle.

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) was identified by the CDC in the U.S. in 2014. Learn tips for travelers to avoid this deadly virus.