| umls-concept:C0008377 | skos:definition | MSH: The principal sterol of all higher animals, distributed in body tissues, especially the brain and spinal cord, and in animal fats and oils.,CSP: C27H46O, the major fatty steroid alcohol of vertebrate animals, distributed in body tissues, especially the brain and spinal cord, and in animal fats and oils.,NCI: Lipid composed of 27 carbon atoms which form three fused cycloheane (6-carbon) rings, a cyclopentane (5-carbon ring) and a side chain of 8 carbon atoms. (Ensminger et al).,MEDLINEPLUS: <p>Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that occurs naturally in all parts of the body. Your body needs some cholesterol to work properly. But if you have too much in your blood, it can stick to the walls of your arteries. This is called plaque. Plaque can narrow your arteries or even block them. </p><p>High levels of cholesterol in the blood can increase your risk of <a href='http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/heartdiseases.html'>heart disease</a>. Your cholesterol levels tend to rise as you get older. There are | lld:umls |
