When people with clogged arteries have lower bad cholesterol in their blood, the immune cells inside the plaque stop multiplying as much, which helps shrink the plaque.

The more fat and cholesterol packed inside a person’s artery plaque, the more the immune cells inside it are dividing — suggesting the fat itself is fueling their growth.

Even if you feel fine, your arteries might start building up plaque when your 'bad' cholesterol (LDL) hits around 50 to 60 mg/dL, and the more LDL you have, the more plaque builds up — steadily and predictably.

Elevated low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels directly promote atherosclerotic plaque formation, increasing the risk of cardiovascular events.

If you're a middle-aged person with symptoms, having higher 'bad' cholesterol (LDL) means you're more likely to have heart problems over the next four years — but only if scans show you already have plaque in your heart arteries.

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.