Cholesterol and triglycerides

Cholesterol is a fat-like substance that the body needs to make hormones, bile acids, vitamin D, and other substances. However, the increase in cholesterol in the blood and its deposit in the arteries can cause atherosclerosis. 

Cholesterol is carried through the body by two types of proteins: low-density lipoproteins (LDL), which carry three-quarters of the cholesterol, and high-density lipoproteins (HDL).

Triglycerides circulate in the blood through lipoproteins that are produced in the intestine and liver and are transported to the tissues where they are used as an energy reserve to meet the metabolic needs of the muscles and the brain.