What Is Dangerously High Cholesterol
You may be diagnosed with borderline-high or high cholesterol if your blood test results show:
- Total cholesterol higher than 200 milligrams per deciliter
- LDL cholesterol higher than 100 mg/dL
- Triglycerides over 150 mg/dL
- HDL cholesterol lower than 40 mg/dL
But what do these numbers really mean for your health?
While having high cholesterol isnt something youll notice day to day, it does mean youre at risk for or may already have heart disease, the leading cause of death for both women and men in the United States.
Want to know more? Here are answers to 11 frequently asked questions about high cholesterol.
Cholesterol Levels In Dialysis Patients
In a study of dialysis patients, those with higher cholesterol levels had lower mortality than those with low cholesterol.51 Yet the authors claimed that the inverse association of total cholesterol level with mortality in dialysis patients is likely due to the cholesterol-lowering effect of systemic inflammation and malnutrition, not to a protective effect of high cholesterol concentrations. Keeping an eye on further funding opportunities, the authors concluded: These findings support treatment of hypercholesterolemia in this population.
Can Having High Cholesterol Cause My Dizziness
Regular bouts of dizziness, whether when rising, or just throughout the day, are a worrying symptom, and could mean that you have an underlying problem.
But is it possible that your dizziness is being caused by high cholesterol?
The short answer is no.
In general, high cholesterol has no major, obvious external symptoms like dizziness.
This is one of the issues with high cholesterol. Despite it having serious long term health effects, as well as major and potentially life changing or lethal complications like heart disease and strokes, there is no real way to know if you have high cholesterol besides having a blood test.
However, there are cases where you’re more likely to have high cholesterol, as well as rare symptoms that can be an indicator. These are detailed below:
Possible symptoms of high cholesterol
Other symptoms to be aware of
- If at any point you develop symptoms associated with heart disease, strokes or atherosclerosis contact your doctor immediately. These symptoms may include chest pain or pressure, being unsteady on your feet, slurred speech, pain in your legs, or dizziness. All of these could be a sign of major or incoming health problems.
What might be causing my dizziness?
There are many possible causes for frequent dizzy spells, which may include:
- Some infections, including inner ear infections
- Motion sickness
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Is Dietary Cholesterol Harmful
Research has shown that dietary cholesterol does not significantly impact cholesterol levels in your body, and data from population studies does not support an association between dietary cholesterol and heart disease in the general population .
Though dietary cholesterol can slightly impact cholesterol levels, this isnt an issue for most people.
In fact, two-thirds of the worlds population experience little or no increase in cholesterol levels after eating cholesterol-rich foods even in large amounts .
A small number of people are considered cholesterol non-compensators or hyper-responders and appear to be more vulnerable to high-cholesterol foods.
However, hyper-responders are thought to recycle extra cholesterol back to the liver for excretion .
Dietary cholesterol has also been shown to beneficially affect the LDL-to-HDL ratio, which is considered the best indicator of heart disease risk .
While research shows that its unnecessary for most people to avoid dietary cholesterol, keep in mind that not all cholesterol-containing foods are healthy.
Here are 7 healthy high-cholesterol foods and 4 to avoid.
Here are 7 high-cholesterol foods that are incredibly nutritious.
How Quickly Does Cholesterol Levels Change
Cholesterol drops over time, not suddenly, after a few days of healthier living. There is no set period in which cholesterol is guaranteed to drop. Cholesterol-lowering drugs usually produce a change in LDL within 6 to 8 weeks. It is possible for lifestyle changes to change cholesterol levels within weeks.
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Ways To Lower Your Risk
There really isnt a way to prevent side effects however, there are some steps you can take.
- Notify all healthcare providers of any medications you are taking, including any over-the-counter products and herbal remedies. Sometimes, these products can interact with your cholesterol medication and increase your risk of experiencing certain side effects.
- Keep your medical appointments. When first starting your cholesterol-lowering medication and later at periodic intervals, your doctor will want to monitor you for side effects and to make sure that the cholesterol drug is working properly. He or she will usually perform a physical exam, check your cholesterol levels and do other tests to ensure that you are healthy.
- If you are having side effects, try to keep a log of these reactions and when you are experiencing them. Is the side effect occurring immediately after you take the drug? Is it happening only when you take it with your blood pressure medicine or another drug? Is the side effect constant or happening only during certain times of the day? This information will help your physician decide whether or not to modify your dose or switch you to another medication.
- Be honest with your physician if you are experiencing side effects that you cannot tolerate. By letting him or her know, he or she can adjust or change your medication. This will help keep your cholesterol within a healthy rangewithout you being miserable in the process.
Treatments For Arterial Thrombosis
If you develop arterial thrombosis, it may need to be treated with medicine or surgery.
Treatments include:
- injections of a medicine called a thrombolytic which can dissolve some blood clots
- an operation to remove the clot
- an operation to widen the affected artery for example, an angioplasty
- surgery to divert blood around the blocked artery for example, a coronary artery bypass graft
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Can I Live Long With High Cholesterol
Untreated or undertreated high cholesterol is associated with a lower life span due to the risk of heart attack and stroke, but its still possible to live a long life with high cholesterol, provided you follow a heart-healthy lifestyle and take medication if needed. According to a study published in April 2018 in the journal Circulation, a healthy lifestyle defined as not smoking, doing moderate exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, and following a healthy diet was associated with an average of 14 more years of life for women and 12 for men.
Additional reporting by Erica Patino
Low Blood Pressure After Standing Up
Postural or orthostatic hypotension is a condition in which your blood pressure briefly drops when you get up quickly from sitting or lying down, causing nausea, dizziness, unsteadiness or blackouts. This is common and can be caused by dehydration, standing still for too long, becoming too hot and not eating enough or regularly enough .
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Other Risk Factors Of Shortness Of Breath
High cholesterol which ends up in arteries build ups and thickened blood vessels is a common triggering factor of shortness of breath. This happens especially to women aged over sixty with high blood cholesterol level, although men may also experience the problem. People with family history of breathing difficulty may also inherit the health problem. However, breathing difficulty is not merely triggered by high cholesterol level. Simple environmental factors may also trigger shortness of breath. These factors include:
- Allergies to foods, dust, mites, or pollen. Allergies may trigger some visible symptoms, such as itching, rashes, and blood shot eye. In severe conditions, primary effects of allergies that are not treated might lead to breathing difficulty that can be life-threatening.
- Stress and anxiety. These factors trigger faster heart rate, which may occur in cut-off oxygen level that promotes shortness of breath.
- Heavy activities and sports, which are done too suddenly. If you are doing sports, it is important to do it in moderation. Do not escalate the level too quickly, as this may distract your heart rates. When you are not accustomed to doing heavy activities, such as aerobics or climbing, it is possible for shortness of breath to be experienced.
Preventing high cholesterol-induced shortness of breath
Maybe Shes Born With It
High cholesterol due to genetics is called familial hypercholesterolemia . People with FH are born with high cholesterol because their bodies cant process LDL correctly.
FH is one of the most common inherited diseases, affecting 1 in 220 adults. People with FH have a 13 times greater risk of heart disease. Untreated FH can result in chronically high cholesterol levels and heart disease.
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What Happens To The Arteries In Coronary Artery Disease
Coronary artery disease is caused by atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is the buildup of plaque inside your arteries. Plaque consists of cholesterol, fatty substances, waste products, calcium and the clot-making substance fibrin. As plaque continues to collect on your artery walls, your arteries narrow and stiffen. Plaque can clog or damage your arteries, which limits or stops blood flow to your heart muscle. If your heart does not get enough blood, it can’t get the oxygen and nutrients it needs to work properly. This condition is called ischemia. Not getting enough blood supply to your heart muscle can lead to chest discomfort or chest pain . It also puts you at risk for a heart attack.
Why Do High Cholesterol Symptoms Develop
What is lipid homeostasis? Human lipid homeostasis is a stable & balanced fat metabolism in the body.
To maintain healthy cholesterol range body needs to carry out more complex interactions. Any disturbance to this homeostasis leads to various high cholesterol symptoms.
Why cholesterol patients have loose stool?
STOMACH pain, diarrhea, and nausea are all symptoms of gallstones – hard particles formed of cholesterol that develop in the gallbladder also, fat metabolism problems due to digestion, absorption, and or stool consistency disturbance.
Why cholesterol patients have a lack of appetite?
Chronic poor appetite or lack of appetite medically referred to as anorexia. Any persisting lack of appetite should be evaluated. Causes of loss of appetite include pregnancy, metabolic problems, liver disease, hepatitis, hypothyroidism, kidney problem, heart failure, and antibiotic use.
Why cholesterol patients experience chest or stomach distension?
Intestinal inflammation and small bowel bacterial overgrowth may lead to excess intestinal gas. This excess gas leads to chest and stomach distension.
Why cholesterol patients experience pains ?
Intestinal inflammation and small bowel bacterial overgrowth may lead to excess intestinal gas. This gas has the characteristic of moving everywhere and cause pain where it resides this causes aching pain.
Why high cholesterol causes tiredness or fatigue?
Why high cholesterol have symptoms of eyes?
Why high cholesterol have symptoms on the skin?
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What Should I Expect If I Have Coronary Artery Disease Can It Be Cured
Technically coronary artery disease cant be cured. If youve been diagnosed with coronary artery disease, follow your healthcare providers treatment plan to help prevent your condition from getting worse. Your treatment plan may include procedures and surgery to increase the blood supply to your heart, lifestyle changes to target your risk factors and medications.
If your coronary artery disease has led to a heart attack, your healthcare provider can recommend a cardiac rehabilitation program to reduce your risk of future heart problems, regain strength and improve the quality of your life.
It’s important to keep all follow-up appointments and have all tests ordered by your healthcare provider. These are needed to keep track of your condition, monitor how well your treatment plan is working and make adjustments if needed.
Can Getting High Cholesterol Levels Cause Dizziness Or Headaches
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Dizziness and Vertigo are considered the same, but they are not the same. Vertigo is a neurological condition in which the patient suffers from a phobia of height, and it may cause dizziness. But in the case of dizziness, having a phobia of height is not necessary. In dizziness, the patient may experience an external tingling sensation or an abnormal body movement..Dr. Harirama K Acharya, Senior Consultant Neurology and Clinical Director at Narayana Health City, Bangalore, shared the difference between dizziness and vertigo. The doctor shared the different symptoms of the same and the treatment options for the same..#NarayanaHealth #HealthForAll #AllForHealth #NHCares.For video consultation with the doctor, log on to https://video.narayana.health/home..Visit our website https://www.narayanahealth.org to know more about Narayana Health and its facilities..Connect with us:
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Can High Cholesterol Cause Tingling Hands Feet
Pain in Hands and Feet: Accumulation of cholesterol can clog the blood vessels of legs and hands. This build-up of cholesterol can occur continuously and make the hands and feet painful. Frequent tingling: Interruptions in the blood flow to certain parts of the body makes a tingling sensation in hands and legs.
How Is Xanthoma Diagnosed
Your doctor or dermatologist can typically diagnose xanthoma. They may be able to make a diagnosis simply by examining your skin. A skin biopsy can confirm the presence of a fatty deposit beneath the skin.
During this procedure, your doctor may remove a small sample of tissue from the growth and send it to a laboratory for analysis. Your doctor will follow up with you to discuss the results.
They may also order blood tests to check blood lipid levels, assess liver function, and rule out diabetes.
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What Are The Warning Signs Of High Cholesterol
High cholesterol typically doesnt have any symptoms until it is an emergency event. The only way to know if you have a high level of ldl cholesterol is through a blood test. Leaving cholesterol untreated can lead to the buildup of plaque over time, damaging the heart and putting you at risk for a heart attack or stroke. Keep an eye out for heart attack or early stroke symptoms like:
- Nausea
Can High Cholesterol Cause Erectile Dysfunction
High cholesterol alone is not thought to cause erectile dysfunction , but plaque-clogged arteries can, because blood flow is essential to an erection, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Too much cholesterol may also affect the bodys ability to produce the hormone testosterone, as well as nitric oxide, which helps relax the penile tissue. Both of these factors can lead to ED as well.
The good news is that in older men with both high cholesterol and ED, taking statins medications used to treat high cholesterol is associated with a significant improvement in ED, according to research presented at the American College of Cardiologys 63rd Annual Scientific Session.
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How Do Doctors Diagnose High Cholesterol
Experts recommend a routine cholesterol screening every 4 to 6 years. A cholesterol screening is an overall look at, or profile of the fats in your blood. It is typically part of a blood test called a full lipid profile, which shows the actual levels of each type of fat in your blood: LDL, HDL, triglycerides, and others, as well as total cholesterol. Depending on your personal health factors and medical history, your doctor may recommend testing your cholesterol more often.
Testing is important because high blood cholesterol is a significant risk factor in andstroke. Lowering blood cholesterol through increased physical activity, weight loss, smoking cessation, and proper diet decreases that risk. However, blood cholesterol is very specific to each person. For that reason, a full lipid profile is an important part of your medical history and essential information for your doctor to have.
If abnormalities are discovered a second series of blood tests may be ordered to help your doctor better understand your clinical situation. For example, different cholesterol subunits respond better to different medications. Other subunits do not respond to medication and, in that case, none may be prescribed.
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How Is Xanthoma Treated
If xanthoma is a symptom of a medical condition, then the underlying cause must be treated. This will often get rid of the growths and minimize the likelihood that theyll return. Diabetes and cholesterol levels that are well-controlled are less likely to cause xanthoma.
Other treatments for xanthoma include surgical removal, laser surgery, or chemical treatment with trichloroacetic acid. Xanthoma growths can return after treatment, however, so these methods dont necessarily cure the condition.
Talk to your doctor to see which treatment is right for you. They can help determine whether the condition can be treated through medical management of the underlying issue.
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Why Do I Have High Cholesterol
For many people, lifestyle plays a big role in the development of the condition. Its often due to a combination of diet and how active you are, as well as your genetic capacity to produce cholesterol, says Raj Khandwalla, MD, cardiologist and director of digital therapeutics at Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles. Being overweight and smoking can also increase your chances of developing high cholesterol.
What Causes High Cholesterol If I Eat Healthy Can It Be Genetic
If you eat a healthy diet and get regular exercise but still have high cholesterol, your DNA may be a bigger factor than your lifestyle. About 1 in 250 people in the United States live with familial hypercholesterolemia , a life-threatening inherited disorder that causes high cholesterol.
Unfortunately, 90 percent of people who have it dont know it, according to the FH Foundation, a national nonprofit organization based in Pasadena, California. Screening for high cholesterol is the only way to identify people who have FH. Because of this, all children should have a cholesterol screening once between ages 9 and 11, recommends the American Academy of Pediatrics.
If your LDL is above 100, its already considered high. If its higher than 190, you may have FH, according to leading heart groups, such as the AHA, the American College of Cardiology, and the National Lipid Association. If a parent has FH, their child has a chance of having it, too. Finding out if you have FH and getting treated if you do is vital, because having FH means your risk of heart disease is 20 times higher than that of people who dont have inherited high cholesterol, according to the FH Foundation.
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