WHAT DOES THIS BAD CHOLESTEROL LOOK LIKE?

What does this "bad" cholesterol look like?

LDL cholesterol is a round lipoprotein that shuttles the bulk of the cholesterol in the blood. The inner core contains oily cholesterol molecules, each with a fatty acid chain dangling from it. Also found within the core is a lesser amount of triglyceride molecules intermingling with the cholesterol esters. Seventy-five percent of the cholesterol within the LDL is in this bound-up (esterified) form, concentrated within the inner core. The greater the concentration of these "chained" cholesterol molecules in the LDL, the more susceptible the LDL molecule is to oxidation (which instigates the catastrophic events that make up the atherosclerotic process), and the higher your risk for developing heart disease.

Surrounding the fatty core of LDL is an outer shell consisting of many fat - like molecules called phospholipids, plus some "unchained" cholesterol. The entire LDL ball is encircled by one big spaghetti - like strand of protein called Apo B (apolipoprotein B-100) (Figure 2). This protein molecule plays a crucial role in mooring the LDL molecule onto LDL receptors (more on these later).