oxidized LDL cholesterol

6.5

A kind of LDL bad cholesterol made when it reacts with oxygen and that clogs arteries with fatty plaque

noun
/ˈɑksɪˌdaɪzd ˌɛl di ˈel kəˈlɛstərɔl/

Specialized

: colesterol LDL oxidado

Monitoring oxidized LDL cholesterol is essential for understanding cardiovascular health.

Examples

Researchers found that a diet high in antioxidants can help reduce oxidized LDL cholesterol levels in the blood.
Thus, when atherosclerosis has occurred, the changes in endothelial function cannot be explained solely by the presence of oxidized LDL cholesterol in the vascular wall.

Academic text (1991)
Elevated levels of oxidized LDL cholesterol are associated with an increased risk of heart disease.

Surface Forms

oxidized LDL cholesterol singular

oxidized LDL cholesterols plural

Morphology

oxidized + LDL + cholesterol

This is a compositional technical noun phrase: 'oxidized' simply modifies 'LDL cholesterol', so a learner who knows 'oxidized', 'LDL', and 'cholesterol' can infer it means LDL-carried cholesterol that has been chemically altered by oxidation. The term is not idiomatic but a straightforward scientific description (though 'LDL' is specialized jargon), so its meaning is derivable from its parts.

Etymology

Oxidized LDL cholesterol paints a simple picture: small particles of LDL cholesterol become oxidized, meaning 'damaged by oxygen' like metal that goes rusty. Because these changed bits get sticky and can 'clog blood vessels', the term is used for LDL that is linked to 'heart disease'.