Cholesterol is a sterol, specifically a zoosterol found in animals, with the formula C17H28O. This compound is similar to ergosterol, which plays a role similar to cholesterol in fungi.
Drugs known as statins are used to lower cholesterol levels in the blood to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. These drugs act on a pathway that constitutes the first 18 steps of the 37-step process the human body uses to make cholesterol. Under the influence of ultraviolet light, the body converts cholesterol into calcitriol, an active form of vitamin D made in the kidneys.
The human body has a mechanism to recycle cholesterol, starting with its excretion from the liver and eventual reabsorption into the bloodstream in the small intestine. However, when it comes to cholesterol in the brain, things are different. Cells called astrocytes make and transport this vital substance because it can’t cross
