Cholesterol & atherogenesis

Atherosclerosis, the development of lipid-containing lesions in the arterial wall potentially leading to the obstruction of circulation, is often inelegantly attributed to the accumulation of fatty “sludge,” akin to the clogging of drain pipes by bacon fat.

This appears superficially to be realistic, given the observation that saturated fats and cholesterol are waxy substances at room temperature, but this is not their property in the body; the reality is far more complex and fascinating.