When your body doesn’t respond well to insulin (like in prediabetes), it makes more of the bad, tiny, sticky cholesterol particles that clog arteries.

Tiny, dense cholesterol particles stick around longer in the blood and slip more easily into artery walls, where they get damaged and trigger inflammation that leads to clogged arteries.

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) functions as a transport particle that delivers cholesterol and other essential lipids to peripheral tissues via the bloodstream.

Saturated fat raises LDL cholesterol, but mostly the 'bigger, fluffier' kind that doesn't clog arteries as much as the small, sticky kind.

Chronic exposure to elevated LDL particles is causally associated with increased risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease through endothelial infiltration and initiation of arterial inflammation.

Eating a lot of fructose, like in sugary drinks, makes your liver produce more fat-carrying particles that can clog your arteries over time.