If young adults with a genetic form of high cholesterol have been exposed to high LDL levels for longer, they tend to have twice as much plaque buildup in their arteries for every 75 units of exposure over time — meaning long-term cholesterol exposure might silently damage their heart vessels.

The longer your body is exposed to LDL cholesterol — even at pretty low levels like 60 — the higher your risk for heart disease, because plaque can start building up in your arteries without you knowing it.

People with a genetic cholesterol problem (FH) who've had more cholesterol buildup over their lives are much more likely to have plaque in their heart arteries — about 3.6 times more likely — compared to those with less cholesterol exposure.

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.

Having high levels of 'bad' cholesterol (LDL) over your lifetime causes buildup in your arteries, which increases your risk of heart disease — the more LDL and the longer you have it, the higher your risk.

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%.