In healthy-looking middle-aged Americans with low heart disease risk, higher 'bad' cholesterol is linked to more buildup in heart arteries — and the more cholesterol, the more common these buildups are.

Middle-aged adults who feel fine but have very high 'bad' cholesterol might be more likely to have hidden heart plaque, even if they don’t have symptoms.

Middle-aged Americans who feel fine but have high 'bad' cholesterol are more likely to have hidden heart artery plaque, especially if they already show signs of artery calcification — and those with very high cholesterol have the worst kinds of plaque.

Even if your heart looks healthy and you have no major risk factors, higher 'bad' cholesterol (LDL) — even when it's considered 'normal' — is linked to more hidden artery buildup. For every 10-point rise in LDL, the odds go up by about 15%.

Even if you're healthy and don't have typical heart disease risks, having higher 'bad' cholesterol (LDL) might still mean you're more likely to have early signs of artery buildup — and the higher the LDL, the greater the chance.

Even if you're a middle-aged adult with normal cholesterol and no obvious heart disease risks, there's almost a 50% chance you already have early signs of heart disease, like buildup in your arteries.