Is 6.3 Cholesterol Too High

Yellow Rashes On The Eyelids

These yellow rashes are similar to the yellow cholesterol bubbles on your body, but smaller and on this time on your eyelids. The condition is known as xanthelasma. Luckily, it doesnt have any negative effects on your eyesight. Laser and acid treatments are available to get rid of these rash bubbles, but the more effective and permanent solution is just to lower your cholesterol levels altogether.

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Good And Bad Cholesterol

There’s only one kind of cholesterol but it is carried around the body by different carriers called lipoproteins, notably:

• Low density lipoprotein
• High density lipoprotein

In simple terms, cholesterol carried by LDLs is considered bad because when theres too much of it circulating in your blood it contributes to plaque build-up that clogs arteries and makes them less flexible . If you have high blood cholesterol your goal will be to reduce LDL levels in your blood.

On the other hand, cholesterol carried by HDLs is considered good because it carries cholesterol away from the arteries and back to the liver, where it is broken down and passed from the body. Any lifestyle changes or treatment for high blood cholesterol will aim to ensure HDL levels are increased or maintained at healthy levels.

When blood cholesterol tests are done, the level of triglycerides in your blood is also measured. Triglycerides are the most common type of fat that exists in food and in the body. When calories ingested in a meal are not used immediately by the body, they are converted to triglycerides and are transported to the fat cells to be stored. It is thought that elevated triglyceride levels may increase the risk of developing heart disease, particularly when associated with high LDL-cholesterol levels.

Functional Foods That Lower Cholesterol

Functional foods is a term used to describe foods or food ingredients with components that provide a specific health benefit beyond the basic nutritional value of normal foods. Many branded products claim to have health benefits, and some are scientifically proven to work.

Probiotics, for example, promote growth of healthy gut bacteria, while adding plant sterols and stanols in larger amounts than you find in natural foods can help reduce cholesterol.

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Effects Of High Cholesterol Levels

The liver is the main processing centre for cholesterol and dietary fat. When we eat animal fats, the liver transports the fat, together with cholesterol in the form of lipoproteins, into our bloodstream.

Too much cholesterol circulating within LDL in our bloodstream leads to fatty deposits developing in the arteries. This causes the vessels to narrow and they can eventually become blocked. This can lead to heart disease and stroke.

Negative Impact Of High Cholesterol

Studying cholesterol in older adults is trickier than it sounds, Martin says. Many people who have high cholesterol die from complications of heart disease before reaching an advanced age. Those who live into their 70s or 80s despite high cholesterol might have other factors that increased their longevity. That bias could skew the research results.

If someone has made it to that age and hasnt had problems from their cholesterol, they may have gotten lucky with genes or other protective factors, he says. But that doesnt mean high cholesterol is harmless or that their luck wont run out.

In addition, high cholesterol is one of many factors that work together to contribute to cardiovascular disease, along with elements such as high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking and inactivity. Cholesterol might not always be the single most important factor, Martin says, but its a piece of the puzzle that patients and doctors should not ignore.

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Further Information And Support

For assessment and treatment of high cholesterol levels see a doctor. For ideas about how to lower high cholesterol levels a doctor or dietitian can assist.

Our Heart disease diet and Heart disease exercise pages provide practical ideas and ways to get started with healthier lifestyles in general, including cholesterol reduction.

Diagnostic Evaluation Of Isolated Hypercholesterolemia

All adults and perhaps children should have a cholesterol level assessed at least every 5 years. In adults, cholesterol levels higher than 300 mg/dL and LDL greater than 190 mg/dL suggest FH. Heterozygous FH should be suspected in any person with premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The diagnosis of heterozygous FH can be confirmed clinically by the presence of tendon xanthomas and a family history of premature coronary disease. The diagnosis of FH is primarily clinical, but genetic testing is available and, although costly, may be helpful for assessing risk in family members and in genetic counseling. This is important because many patients with FH will not initially present with elevated LDL but have increased risk of cardiovascular disease, presumably due to a lifelong LDL that is higher than desirable.

Glenn N. Levine MD, FACC, FAHA, in, 2014

9.

What factors make up metabolic syndrome?

Abdominal obesity

Triglycerides 150 mg/dL or more

Low HDL cholesterol

Blood pressure 135/85 mm Hg or higher

Fasting glucose 110 mg/dL or more

14.

What is the difference between myopathy, myalgia, myositis, and rhabdomyolysis?

Myopathy: general term referring to any disease of muscles

Myalgia: muscle ache or weakness without creatine kinase elevation

Myositis: muscle symptoms with increased CK levels

Rhabdomyolysis: muscle symptoms with marked CK elevation

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Are Cholesterol Test Kits Reliable

The FDA does regulate some cholesterol tests, but not all. Reliability of kits can vary, and your results may not always be accurate. However, if you feel at-home cholesterol testing is preferable, ask your doctor to recommend a reliable kit. FDA approved home tests kits meet standards for accuracy.

Many test kits only provide total cholesterol levels, or information about HDL or triglycerides. Your LDL is not directly measured but can be calculated. You cant use cholesterol home tests to evaluate your overall heart risk yourself, as many risk factors – such as age, weight, gender, family history, and lifestyle — are used in this determination and should be performed by a doctor.

What Is A Healthy Normal Cholesterol Level In The Uk

Your cholesterol level is measured in units called millimoles per litre of blood, often shortened to mmol/L.

It is recommended that healthy adults should have a total cholesterol level below 5 mmol/L. The total cholesterol level includes LDL and HDL . The risk of coronary heart disease is particularly high if you have a high level of LDL cholesterol and a low level of HDL cholesterol. Individual levels of LDL and HDL cholesterol will vary and your doctor will be able to give you specific advice based on your own results.

In the UK, components of cholesterol are measured in units called millimoles per litre of blood . As a guide, these are the values healthy adults should aim for

Total cholesterol

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Plant Sterols Can Lower Cholesterol Levels

Plant sterols are found naturally in plant foods including sunflower and canola seeds, vegetable oils and in nuts, legumes, cereals, fruit and vegetables. Some margarine and milks have concentrated plant sterols added to them. Margarines enriched with plant sterolslower LDL cholesterol in most people if the correct amount is eaten .

Why Is High Cholesterol Dangerous

Elevated cholesterol levels are one of the risk factors for heart disease, stroke, and peripheral artery disease. The mechanism involving cholesterol in all three diseases is the same plaque buildup within arteries decreases blood flow affecting the function of the cells and organs that these blood vessels supply.

• Atherosclerotic heart disease or narrowed coronary arteries in the heart can cause the symptoms of angina, when the heart muscle is not provided with enough oxygen to function.
• Decreased blood supply to the brain may be due to narrowed small arteries in the brain or because the larger carotid arteries in the neck may become blocked. This can result in a transient ischemic attack or stroke.
• Peripheral artery disease describes gradual narrowing of the arteries that supply the legs. During exercise, if the legs do not get enough blood supply, they can develop pain, called claudication.
• Other arteries in the body may also be affected by plaque buildup causing them to narrow, including the mesenteric arteries to the intestine and the renal arteries to the kidney.

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Those May Interest You:

To start, stop worrying so much. What is very good is your HDL cholesterol level And the ratio of Total Cholesterol to HDL cholesterol is excellent (the normal target is less than 4.0 Yours is 3.8

HDL cholesterol works as a mop for LDL.

Talk to your doctor about taking an aspirin tablet about 1 hour before taking your Lipostat to see if that helps with the flushing. It may.

Also talk to your doctor about going on the lowest possible dose of Lipostat. Most of the effect comes from the lowest dose – more is better, but not proportionally … so a low dose is better than none.

The important thing to remember is that you are being monitored so that if there is risk to your heart it will be detected before you have to end up with major surgery. There’s nothing worse than suddenly finding you’re on a hospital table being told you’ve got a high chance you’re gonna die that night! Because I didn’t get much in the way of treatable symptoms prior to my attacks.

Now they’re monitoring me like clockwork … and all is going well. Now the doctors are monitoring your situation and that’s good …

Stress seems to play a significant role in the deposition of cholesterol in the plaques. Good sleep is important.

But for the general population, there is a relationship between excess cholesterol and triglycerides and heart disease and heart attacks.

LDL normal is below 3.5 … up to 4.5 is medium risk … over 4.5 is high risk

Triglycerides above 2.0 are representative of increased risk.

What Are The Symptoms Of High Cholesterol

Lifestyle factors include:

• an unhealthy diet– eating too much saturated fat is thought to increase levels of LDL or bad cholesterol
• lack of exercise – this can also increase your levels of LDL
• obesity – being overweight often means you also have higher levels of LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, and a lower level of the good HDL.
• drinking too much alcohol
• smoking – if you smoke, a chemical in cigarettes called acrolein stops the good HDL from moving fatty deposits to your liver

Underlying conditions

• kidney disease

• transient ischaemic attack – or a mini stroke
• peripheral arterial disease

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Which Cholesterol Number Is Most Important

When we measure cholesterol and blood fats, were really talking about three different numbers: HDL, LDL, and triglycerides. They combine to give you a lipid profile score, but the three individual scores are most important. Here are the numbers to strive for: Total cholesterol of 200 mg/dL or lower.

What Are The Signs Of An Unhealthy Heart

Symptoms of heart disease in your blood vessels Chest pain, chest tightness, chest pressure and chest discomfort Shortness of breath. Pain, numbness, weakness or coldness in your legs or arms if the blood vessels in those parts of your body are narrowed. Pain in the neck, jaw, throat, upper abdomen or back.

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What Levels Are Normal And When Are They Too High

“Its normal for cholesterol levels to rise slightly as you get older and women tend to have higher HDL than men. In the UK, the average total cholesterol level is 5.7mmol/l.” – Dr Zenon Andreou

“Its normal for cholesterol levels to rise slightly as you get older and women tend to have higher HDL than men. In the UK, the average total cholesterol level is 5.7mmol/l.”

There are two main types of lipoprotein:

• High-density good lipoprotein this type carries cholesterol away from the cells and back to the liver to be broken down or passed away as a waste product.

• Low-density bad lipoprotein takes cholesterol to the cells where its needed. If there is more LDL than needed, it can build up in the artery walls.

What Is The Most Important Cholesterol Number

It’s not your fault that your cholesterol is high. The 6.1 level of cholesterol that you refer to in your question is above recommended levels but it is not excessively high. The general consensus is that we recommend that cholesterol levels should be down around 5, which is not too far off your current level of 6.1.

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How Do You Know If You Have High Cholesterol

Conditions

How do you know if you have high cholesterol? Since high cholesterol has no symptoms, the only way to tell is through a blood test looking at your lipid levels. If you think your cholesterol levels are higher than they should be, dont wait to contact your doctor.

The buildup of plaque caused by high cholesterol can put you at risk for much more serious diseases like cardiovascular disease, peripheral arterial disease, coronary artery disease , or stroke. As frightening as that can sound, dont panic. With the help of your doctor, you can improve your cholesterol levels through medication and/or lifestyle changes.

In this article, we will teach you how to tell if you have high cholesterol, walk you through common risk factors, and advise you on when to seek emergency treatment.

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Older Adults And High Cholesterol: What You Need To Know

High cholesterol is well known as a risk factor for heart disease. Surprisingly, though, some research has shown that high cholesterol does not increase the risk of dying from heart disease in elderly people.

Does that mean that you can quit worrying about cholesterol in your golden years? Think again, says Johns Hopkins cardiologist Seth Martin, M.D., M.H.S., director of the Lipid Clinic at the Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease.

Heres what you need to know about cholesterol in late life.

The Appearance Of Cholesterol Bubbles On The Skin

Sometimes, the excessive amount of cholesterol may manifest on the outside of your body as well. A yellowish sort of rash can appear on the skin, which is filled with cholesterol. Theyre called xanthomas and are usually found on the Achilles heel and the hand, although theyre sometimes located on the tendons of your foot, knee or elbow too.

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Diet And Lifestyle Changes

A doctor will look at your overall risk of cardiovascular disease and make recommendations to reduce high blood cholesterol as well as managing other risk factors such as high blood pressure, smoking and being overweight.

Reducing high blood cholesterol levels typically involves decreasing the total cholesterol level by decreasing LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides, while maintaining or increasing HDL-cholesterol levels.

• LDL-cholesterol levels are best decreased by eating less saturated fat
• Triglyceride levels are best reduced by eating less sugar-containing foods, limiting alcohol intake, and reducing the intake of total fat
• HDL-cholesterol levels are best increased by exercise, substituting saturated fats with polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fat , and maintaining a healthy weight.

Heart-healthy dietary changes are summarised in our Heart disease diet page.

Other lifestyle changes should include:

• Exercising regularly
• Maintaining a healthy body weight
• Limiting alcohol intake

Heart-healthy exercise suggestions are summarised in our Heart disease exercise page.

What Can I Do To Lower My Cholesterol

You may be able to reduce your cholesterol by making changes to your lifestyle such as:

• eating healthy foods, including lots of fruit and vegetables, low or reduced fat milk, lean meat, nuts and seeds
• avoiding takeaways and deep fried foods, cakes, biscuits, pastries and chips
• reducing red meat, cheese and butter
• staying at a healthy weight
• exercising regularly being active for at least 30 minutes a day most days of the week
• not drinking too much alcohol
• eating healthy fats.

Image: BPAC, NZ

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Safe Blood Cholesterol Levels

Health authorities recommend that cholesterol levels should be no higher than 5.5 mmol per litre if there are no other risk factors present. If there are other cardiovascular risk factors such as smoking and high blood pressure or pre-existing cardiovascular disease, then the aim for the LDL levels would be less than 2 mmol/l. Approximately half of all adult Australians have a blood cholesterol level above 5 mmol/l. This makes high blood cholesterol a major health concern in Australia.