Heart disease linked to high cholesterol continues to be the leading cause of death worldwide. Although doctors have more treatment options than ever, many people still struggle to lower their cholesterol to safe levels. Others experience side effects that make existing medications difficult to take.

Researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine have now identified a previously unknown biological pathway that helps explain why diets high in cholesterol can gradually weaken the body's ability to remove harmful low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol from the bloodstream.…