The cholesterol in eggs does not demonstrably raise LDL cholesterol in most people; saturated fat in the rest of the diet is a more important determinant. Large observational studies do suggest a modest increase in cardiovascular risk with high egg consumption, but this is not a proven causal relationship.
The simple answer 'eggs are bad for your cholesterol' is not correct. A randomised crossover study (n=61) found that the cholesterol in eggs themselves does not measurably raise LDL cholesterol (the so-called 'bad' cholesterol). The determining factor turned out to be the saturated fat in the rest of the diet, which was clearly linked to higher LDL levels (PMID 40339906, 37706071). The dietary pattern with 2 eggs per day combined with little saturated fat even resulted in a slightly lower LDL than the control pattern.
There is, however, one caveat to that finding. That same egg-based diet shifted the composition of LDL particles in a potentially unfavourable direction: there were more small, dense LDL particles, which are considered more harmful to blood vessels than large LDL particles. Whether this is clinically relevant in practice remains unknown (PMID 40339906).
People also respond very differently to dietary cholesterol. Approximately two in three people are so-called 'hypo-responders': their blood cholesterol barely rises when they consume more cholesterol. Approximately one in three is a 'hyper-responder' and does see a rise in LDL, but also in HDL (the 'good' cholesterol), meaning the ratio between the two often stays the same (PMID 29596318, 37706071).
Large observational studies and a meta-analysis of more than 3.6 million participants did find a modest association: each additional egg per day was associated with a four percent higher risk of cardiovascular disease (RR 1.04, 95% CI 1.00-1.08), and each additional 300 mg of dietary cholesterol per day was associated with eighteen percent higher mortality (PMID 30874756, 35360933). These are, however, observational associations, not proof of direct causality. Confounding factors, such as the quality of the overall dietary pattern, can strongly influence these outcomes. Notably, no elevated risk was found in Asian cohorts, only in American and partly in European ones (PMID 35360933).
Caution is warranted for certain groups. There are indications that people with diabetes may be more sensitive to the effects of eggs on cardiovascular risk, but the evidence is still insufficient for firm recommendations (PMID 37706071). The American Heart Association advises focusing on the overall dietary pattern rather than on individual nutrients such as cholesterol; healthy patterns such as the Mediterranean diet or the DASH diet are naturally relatively low in cholesterol (PMID 31838890). Finally, eggs contain high-quality protein that may be beneficial for muscle maintenance, particularly in older adults, and for feelings of satiety (PMID 35889862).
The cholesterol claims are based on a single randomised crossover study (n=61) and are therefore limited in scale. The cardiovascular risk claims come from large observational cohorts and a meta-analysis of more than 3.6 million participants, but are characterised by considerable heterogeneity (I²=80%) and confounding by dietary pattern. None of the sources used is an umbrella review.