By now you know there is good cholesterol — high-density lipoprotein (HDL) — and bad cholesterol — low-density lipoprotein (LDL).

Too much LDL cholesterol isn’t just bad for you, it could be deadly, causing heart attack or stroke.

HDL helps return the LDL to the liver for elimination. Therefore, if the levels of LDL cholesterol are too high or the levels of HDL cholesterol are too low, the fat deposits build up in the blood vessels which makes it difficult for blood to flow through the arteries, health care body Medicover Hospitals explained. This could affect normal body functioning and lead to serious health problems.

The only way to know for sure if your LDL is too high is to get a blood test from your doctor. But there are warning signs, Medicover wrote.

A frequent headache in the back of your head could be one sign.

“The blockage of blood vessels in the area around the head causes a headache in the back of the head. This occurs when the blood vessels are clogged by the cholesterol plaque. If this is left unchecked, the blood vessels can rupture and cause a stroke,” Medicover wrote.

There are other warning signs to be aware of, according to Medicover.

Pain in hand and feet: “Accumulation of cholesterol can clog the blood vessels of legs and hands. This build-up of cholesterol can occur continuously and make the hands and feet painful.”

Frequent tingling in hands and legs: “Interruptions in the blood flow to certain parts of the body makes a tingling sensation in hands and legs. The high cholesterol levels in the blood make the blood flow thick and affect the normal flow of blood in the nerves and cause tingling.”

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Bree Danner is one hundreds of employees cut from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention by the Trump administration’s DOGE team in February 2025. She is shown here in her apartment in metro Atlanta getting up to date on her fellow employees' legal fight against the layoffs. (Photo by Arvin Temkar/AJC)

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com

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