Cholesterol
At a molecular level, fat expresses as cholesterol. Excess hard fat intake can result in significant amounts of cholesterol in the blood. Cholesterol tends to deposit in the walls of the blood vessels. This consequently leads to plaques lining the vessels, which impede blood flow or may block it completely if a clot forms. Impeded blood flow to the brain and narrowed vessels by cholesterol depots can hence give rise to an ischemic stroke.