Symptoms Of High Cholesterol And Triglycerides

Health Conditions Related To Triglycerides And Cholesterol

High blood lipid levels may increase your risk for plaques to develop in your arteries or thicken the walls of your arteries .

Other health conditions related to high triglycerides or cholesterol include:

• High blood sugar levels or diabetes
• Metabolic syndromea cluster of conditions that increase your risk for heart disease
• Genetic conditions

Cholesterol And Healthy Eating

What we eat has an impact on our cholesterol levels and can help reduce our risk of disease. The Heart Foundation recommends following a heart-healthy eating pattern, which means eating a wide variety of fresh and unprocessed foods and limiting highly processed foods including take away, baked goods, chocolate, chips, lollies and sugary drinks. Not only does this help to maintain a healthy and interesting diet, but it provides essential nutrients to the body.

A heart-healthy eating pattern includes:

• plenty of vegetables, fruit and wholegrains
• a variety of healthy protein-rich foods , legumes , nuts and seeds. Smaller amounts of eggs and lean poultry can also be included in a heart-healthy eating pattern. If choosing red meat, make sure it is lean and limit to one to three times a week
• unflavoured milk, yoghurt and cheese. People with high cholesterol should choose reduced fat varieties
• healthy fats and oils. Choose nuts, seeds, avocados, olives and their oils for cooking
• herbs and spices to flavour foods, instead of adding salt.

This way of eating is also naturally high in fibre, which is good news, because a high intake of dietary fibre can also reduce levels of bad cholesterol in the blood.

Also, be mindful of how much you are eating. Portion sizes have increased over time and many of us are eating more than we need which can increase our cholesterol and risk of heart disease.

Serving size can vary depending on age, gender and specific nutrition needs.

How Is High Cholesterol Diagnosed

You cant tell if you have high cholesterol without having it checked. A simple blood test will reveal your cholesterol level.

Men 35 years of age and older and women 45 years of age and older should have their cholesterol checked. Men and women 20 years of age and older who have risk factors for heart disease should have their cholesterol checked. Teens may need to be checked if they are taking certain medicines or have a strong family history of high cholesterol. Ask your doctor how often you should have your cholesterol checked.

Risk factors for heart disease include:

• Cigarette smoking
• Having an immediate family member who has had heart disease
• Being overweight or obese

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The Dangers Of High Cholesterol: Effects On Eyes Headaches & Fatigue

9/19/2021 1:01:10 PM

Over 90 million adults in the United States suffer from high cholesterol according to the CDC. High cholesterol can lead to several health complications that include high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, cardiac arrest, and stroke. Cholesterol is especially insidious because it doesn’t have any direct symptoms, but is instead discovered through symptoms from other conditions caused by high cholesterol’s long-term effects.

Hyperlipidemia risk factors can be genetic, diet-related, or influenced by the lifestyle leading to high cholesterol levels and eventually, serious complications. Before discussing cholesterol and high cholesterol symptoms, it’s important to understand what cholesterol is and why it causes issues in the body when in excess.

Read on as we discuss the nature of cholesterol, a few symptoms, its effects on the eyes, and if cholesterol indeed does cause fatigue and headaches.

Prevention Of High Cholesterol

Regularly monitoring your cholesterol levels can also help prevent your numbers from getting too high or low. In general, healthy adults should check their cholesterol every four to six years, but your doctor may ask to check your cholesterol more often depending on your age, overall health, and other risk factors. There are other ways to prevent high cholesterol, too

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What Regulates The Heart Rate And Blood Pressure

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Signs Of Very High Triglycerides

Triglycerides are fats that circulate in your blood. When you eat fatty foods, most of the fats are in the form of triglycerides. When you eat too many calories, the extra calories are converted to triglycerides and stored away inside your body’s fat cells.

Most people find out they have high or very high triglycerides from a blood test. Triglycerides are checked along with total cholesterol, good cholesterol , and bad cholesterol . These are all lipids and the combined blood test is called a lipid profile.

One reason it’s important to have a lipid profile is that there are usually no symptoms associated with high cholesterol or high triglycerides, a condition called hyperlipidemia. You could have very high triglycerides and not know it.

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Why Is My Husky Shedding So Much In The Winter

Foods high in saturated fats include: processed or deli-style meats deep fried fast foods processed foods takeaway foods fat on meat and skin on chicken ghee, lard and copha coconut oil. Your diet and weight have a huge impact on your levels. Diets highin calories, high-carbohydrate, low-fat diets, and obesity increase triglycerides. Vitamin D deficiency, smoking, an underactive thyroid, inflammation, genetics, and certain medications and diseases can also raise your levels.

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Prediabetes And High Triglycerides

If insulin resistance is left unchecked, the blood glucose level can build up over time. The doctor may be able to check your blood glucose values by giving you a fasting blood test that determines the cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

If you have high glucose levels but the levels arent high enough to indicate you have type 2 diabetes, you may instead have prediabetes. In such cases, your cholesterol level and triglyceride level may be elevated as well.

Fortunately, prediabetes can be reversed, lowering the levels of triglycerides, cholesterol, and blood glucose levels. Reversing prediabetes means eating a healthy diet high in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, exercising on a regular basis, and taking certain medications to bring down the blood glucose levels. If you dont do this, the odds that you develop type 2 diabetes are increased.

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How Food Impacts Cholesterol

The main culprits that cause high cholesterol are saturated fats and partially hydrogenated oil known as trans fat. These are commonly found in highly processed foods like:

• Commercial baked goods like doughnuts.
• Commercial snack foods like potato chips.
• Deep-fried foods.

Keep in mind that trans fat can sneak into peanut butter, coffee creamers, frozen pizza and microwave popcorn. So read those labels. Even items that claim zero grams of trans fat may include partially hydrogenated oils. The fat in these items increases your bad cholesterol, lowers your good cholesterol and causes inflammation, the underlying cause of heart disease, explains Zumpano. Inflammation can contribute to plaque buildup in your arteries and cause blood clots to form around them, blocking blood flow.

Additionally, eating too many unhealthy foods can produce excess triglycerides, another form of fat found in your blood. High triglyceride levels result from having too many calories most often from too much fat or sugar in the diet. Triglycerides also stick to the walls of your arteries, worsening plaque buildup.

Symptoms Of Elevated Triglyceride Levels

Your triglyceride level may be high without having any type of symptoms. If the triglyceride levels are extremely high, it may show up as fatty deposits called xanthoma. These are yellowish deposits of lipids occurring under the skin.

In cases of genetically high triglycerides , the triglyceride levels may be so high that you develop pancreatitis, which is an inflammation of the pancreas. Signs you might have pancreatitis from high triglyceride levels include decreased appetite, fever, nausea and vomiting, and severe pain in the upper part of the abdomen.

Triglyceride levels can be tracked by having a lipid profile checked on a periodic basis. If your triglyceride level is normal, the levels are under 150 mg/dL. If your triglyceride level is borderline high, the levels are 150-199 mg/dL. High triglyceride levels are between 200 and 499 mg/dL and extremely high triglyceride levels mean that the triglyceride levels are in excess of 500 mg/dL.

High triglyceride levels may also mean you have high cholesterol levels as well. The combination of high cholesterol and high triglycerides are more dangerous than just having high triglyceride levels. Only a lipoprotein blood test can tell if you have high triglyceride or high cholesterol levels.

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Treatment Of High Triglycerides

The goal of treatment for individuals with hypertriglyceridemia is to protect the heart and reduce the risk of pancreatitis.

The best treatment approach for managing high triglycerides will vary for each patient. For mild cases, lifestyle modifications such as dietary changes and incorporating regular exercise may be enough to get triglycerides down to a healthy level. Your doctor may recommend special dietary modifications, such as lowering your carbohydrate intake and increasing fiber. Exercising regularly can also help to burn fat and lower triglyceride levels.

If lifestyle modifications alone arent enough to lower triglyceride levels, your doctor may recommend that you take medications. Common medications for hypertriglyceridemia include statins, fibrates, niacin and fish oil.

Can High Cholesterol Be Prevented Or Avoided

Making healthy food choices and exercising are two ways to reduce your risk of developing high cholesterol.

Eat fewer foods with saturated fats . Choose healthier fats. This includes lean meats, avocados, nuts, and low-fat dairy items. Avoid foods that contain trans fat . Look for foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. These foods include salmon, herring, walnuts, and almonds. Some egg brands contain omega-3.

Exercise can be simple. Go for a walk. Take a yoga class. Ride your bike to work. You could even participate in a team sport. Aim to get 30 minutes of activity every day.

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Why Your Cholesterol May Increase On The Carnivore Diet

The main reason that your total cholesterol, HDL and LDL increase on the carnivore diet is the fact that your body switches from burning carbohydrates to burning fats for fuel.

Because there is very little amount of carbohydrates on the carnivore diet or low-carb diets, the liver has to convert a lot of fatty acids into ketones for your body to use them as a fuel source.

When fatty acids enter the liver, they are converted to acetyl-CoA. Acetyl-CoA can be used as energy in the mitochondria but can also be converted to HMG-CoA.

Because HMG-CoA involves in the synthesis of both cholesterol and ketone formation, accordingly, by design, when you are in ketosis, both ketone and cholesterol productions go up. Therefore, you are likely to see your total cholesterol, HDL and LDL cholesterol increase.

Some people also experience an increase in cholesterol levels while fasting because the same process happens: after glycogen store has been depleted, the liver begins to break down fatty acids for energy and, by design, the liver will synthesize more cholesterol.

Adrenal glands, intestines and reproductive organs also produce cholesterol but liver is the primary site of cholesterol synthesis.

As mentioned above, while an increase in HDL is considered a good sign, an elevated LDL is generally considered a bad sign because it has been traditionally associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease.

This may not necessarily be the case as explained in the section below.

Getting A Cholesterol Test

A blood sample is taken that will be used to determine the amount of bad cholesterol , good cholesterol and other fatty substances in your blood.

You may be asked not to eat for 10-12 hours before the cholesterol test, usually including when you’re asleep at night. This ensures that all food is completely digested and won’t affect the outcome of the test.

Your GP or practice nurse can carry out the cholesterol test and will take a blood sample, either using a needle and a syringe or by pricking your finger.

A newer type of test that measures non-high-density lipoprotein is now sometimes used because it’s thought to be a more accurate way of estimating cardiovascular disease risk than LDL.

Non-HDL cholesterol is total cholesterol minus HDL cholesterol. It’s also not necessary to fast before the test, so it is more convenient.

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What Medical Problems Affect My Cholesterol Levels

Medical problems and cholesterol have a two-way relationship. High cholesterol can cause medical problems like atherosclerosis. But some medical conditions can also put you at a higher risk of having high cholesterol. Here are some conditions that may affect your cholesterol levels.

Chronic kidney disease

People with chronic kidney disease face a higher risk of developing coronary artery disease. Thats because CKD causes plaque to build up more quickly in their arteries. People with early-stage CKD are more likely to die from heart disease than kidney disease.

CKD causes you to have more triglycerides in your blood. It also causes you to have more very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. VLDLs are particles that carry triglycerides. Meanwhile, CKD lowers your good cholesterol levels and prevents your HDLs from working as they should. CKD also changes the structure of your bad cholesterol particles so they cause more harm.

HIV

People with HIV are nearly twice as likely as people without HIV to have a heart attack or stroke. Researchers used to think this higher risk came from HIV medications . They believed those medications raised a persons cholesterol. But newer research shows the culprit is actually a persons immune system.

Even if your HIV is under control, your immune system may still be activated. This puts your body in a state of chronic inflammation. This inflammation triggers plaque buildup and atherosclerosis.

Thyroid disease

Lupus

Polycystic ovary syndrome

Symptoms Of High Cholesterol

Often, there are no specific symptoms of high cholesterol. You could have high cholesterol and not know it.

If you have high cholesterol, your body may store the extra cholesterol in your arteries. These are blood vessels that carry blood from your heart to the rest of your body. A buildup of cholesterol in your arteries is known as plaque. Over time, plaque can become hard and make your arteries narrow. Large deposits of plaque can completely block an artery. Cholesterol plaques can also break apart, leading to formation of a blood clot that blocks the flow of blood.

A blocked artery to the heart can cause a heart attack. A blocked artery to your brain can cause a stroke.

Many people dont discover that they have high cholesterol until they suffer one of these life-threatening events. Some people find out through routine check-ups that include blood tests.

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What Are The Risks Linked To High Cholesterol

Too much LDL cholesterol in the blood can increase your risk of heart and blood vessel disease .

The excess LDL cholesterol leads to fatty deposits called plaque forming in the artery walls. Over time, the plaque causes narrowing and hardening of the arteries .

This can lead to:

• Angina when plaque builds up in the major arteries that supply your heart, known as the coronary arteries, they become narrower and are partially blocked, reducing blood flow and oxygen supply to the heart. This may cause shortness of breath and chest pain.
• Heart attack if a plaque in a coronary artery bursts , a clot may form and block the supply of blood to the heart, starving it of oxygen.
• Stroke if the blood vessels that supply the brain become narrower or blocked by plaque, blood supply to the brain can be severely reduced or cut off, causing a stroke. Strokes can also be caused when a clot from another part of the body travels through the blood and lodges in an artery in the brain.
• Peripheral vascular disease this usually affects the arteries that supply the legs and feet, causing leg pain when walking , and even pain when resting, when the circulation is more badly affected

A high level of HDL cholesterol is good because HDL cholesterol helps remove other forms of cholesterol from the blood, taking them back to the liver where theyâre removed from the blood and passed out of the body.

Treatment For High Cholesterol

Making lifestyle changes, especially changing some of the foods you eat, and regular physical activity, are very important to help reduce high LDL cholesterol.

• Move more. Regular physical activity is one of the best things you can do for your heart health. Increasing your physical activity from as little as 10 minutes a day to the Australian governments recommended 30 to 45 minutes a day, five or more days of the week, can help manage your cholesterol levels and reduce your risk of heart disease.
• Quitting smoking reduces the risk of heart disease and can help reduce cholesterol levels. The most effective way to stop smoking is with a combination of stop-smoking medicines and support from a service like Quitline . Speaking to your GP is also a great first step.
• Drinking alcohol doesnt have any health benefits. Alcohol contributes unnecessary kilojoules and is of low nutritional value. Alcohol is not a necessary or recommended part of a heart-healthy eating pattern. If you do drink, to reduce your risk of alcohol-related harm, healthy women and men should drink no more than 10 standard drinks a week and no more than four standard drinks on any one day.
• You may also need to take cholesterol-lowering medicines to help manage your cholesterol and reduce your risk of having a heart attack or stroke. Talk to your doctor about finding the most appropriate treatment for you.

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