Top 6 Side Effects Of High Cholesterol On Body Are Revealed
Cholesterol is a waxy fat that is necessary for the growth of healthy cells. However, too much cholesterol may cause atherosclerosis, heart attack, and more. Recently, VKool.com made a writing of top 6 side effects of high cholesterol on the body. This writing is a collection of useful information about high cholesterol and its negative effects on health from reliable sources. However, it is not intended to give medical advice and it is solely for the informational purpose. Keep reading this writing to learn more!
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
Getting Your Cholesterol Levels Checked
If youre age 20 years or older, the American Heart Association recommends getting your cholesterol levels checked at least once every four to six years. If you have a history of high cholesterol or other risk factors for cardiovascular disease, your doctor may encourage you get your cholesterol levels tested more often.
Your doctor can use a lipid panel to measure your total cholesterol level, as well your LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. Your total cholesterol level is the overall amount of cholesterol in your blood. It includes LDL and HDL cholesterol.
If your levels of total cholesterol or LDL cholesterol are too high, your doctor will diagnose you with high cholesterol. High cholesterol is especially dangerous when your LDL levels are too high and your HDL levels are too low. Find out more about your recommended cholesterol levels.
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What Can High Cholesterol Cause
Researchers found that a subjects blood cholesterol level was one of the strongest predictors of developing rich diseases, diseases of affluence mostly seen in the West. The lower your cholesterol, the lower your risk of at least 11 diseases:
- Heart disease
- At least ten cancers, including lung, liver, colon, breast, and brain cancers
The effects of high cholesterol are wide-ranging, but its ties to heart disease are currently the most established.
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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Lipid Panel Tests To Screen For High Blood Cholesterol
A lipid panel usually measures total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and HDL cholesterol. Your test results may also show the level of non-HDL cholesterol, which includes all fats that raise your risk of heart and blood vessels diseases. It may also include a test for triglycerides.
Ask your doctor if you need to fast before a lipid panel. This means you do not eat or drink anything except water for 9 to 12 hours before your visit. Ask your doctor about taking your medicines before the test.
How often you get a lipid panel done depends on your age, risk factors, and family history of high blood cholesterol or cardiovascular diseases, such as atherosclerosis, heart attack or stroke. Here is a general guide:
- Age 19 or younger. Screening begins at ages 9 to 11 and should be repeated every 5 years. Screening may be performed as early as age 2 if there is a family history of high blood cholesterol, heart attack, or stroke.
- Age 20 to 65. Younger adults should be screened every 5 years. Men ages 45 to 65 and women ages 55 to 65 should be screened every 1 to 2 years.
- Older than 65. Older adults should be screened every year.
Make The Changes Worth Making
If you have high blood cholesterol, making lifestyle changes is a great first step to lower your risk of heart disease. If those steps dont reduce your risk enough, your doctor may prescribe medications to help.
Remember: Making even modest changes now can help to prevent significant medical issues later. Do all you can to reduce your risk for the serious effects of heart attack and stroke.
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Effects Of High Cholesterol On The Nervous System
Stroke.
Cholesterol buildup in the arteries can also clog blood vessels in the brain and cause a stroke.
Brain Blockage.
Excess cholesterol can block arteries to the brain, increasing you risk for a stroke.
Effects on memory.
Too much cholesterol can contribute to heart disease and stroke, which are both risk factors for memory issues.
High cholesterol on its own has been linked to mental impairment and dementia.
Pain in the jaw.
Jaw pain can be a symptom of a heart attack, which can be caused by cholesterol deposits in arteries.
Specific analysis
Cholesterol is an essential component of the human brain.
In fact, the brain contains about 25 percent of the bodys entire supply of cholesterol.
This fat is essential for the development and protection of nerve cells, which enable the brain to communicate with the rest of the body.
While you need some cholesterol for your brain to function optimally, too much of it can be damaging.
Moreover, excess cholesterol in the arteries can lead to strokes.
A disruption in blood flow that can damage parts of the brain.
> > leads to memory loss, movement, difficulty swallowing and speaking, and other functions.
High blood cholesterol on its own has also been implicated in the loss of memory and mental function.
Having high blood cholesterol may accelerate the formation of beta-amyloid plaques.
> > The sticky protein deposits that damage the brain in people with Alzheimers disease.
Learn About Other Precautions To Help You Stay Safe While Taking Statins
Statins are the most common medicine used to treat high blood cholesterol. Learn some tips to stay safe if your doctor gives you statins.
- Keep taking your statin medicine as prescribed. If you started taking a statin after you recently had a heart attack, a stroke, or another complication, you should not stop taking this medicine on your own, because that can increase your risk for a repeat event or even death. Ask your doctor if you have any concerns about your medication or if you would like to stop or change to a different treatment.
- Ask your doctor what medicines, nutritional supplements, or foods you should avoid. Some of these can interact with statins to cause serious side effects or make them less effective. For example, grapefruit affects how your liver breaks down some statins.
- Tell your doctor about any symptoms or side effects. Sometimes, people report muscle problems while taking statins. If you start having muscle pain, your doctor may order a blood test to look for muscle damage. The pain may go away if you switch to a different statin. Muscle damage with statins is rare, and your muscles may heal when you switch to a different medicine.
- If you are a woman who is planning to become pregnant, talk to your doctor about your options. You should stop taking statins about three months before getting pregnant. Also, you should not take statins if you are breastfeeding.
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When Should My Cholesterol Levels Be Tested
Your GP may recommend that you have your blood cholesterol levels tested if you:
- have been diagnosed with coronary heart disease, stroke or mini stroke , or peripheral arterial disease
- have a family history of early cardiovascular disease
- have a close family member who has a cholesterol-related condition
- are overweight
What Are The Side Effects Of High Cholesterol
The side effects of high cholesterol depend on a number of variables, including:
-
Existing health history
-
The length of time youve been living with high cholesterol
-
Current lifestyle factors
Here are the most common side effects associated with a build-up of high LDL cholesterol and low HDL cholesterol in the blood over a prolonged period of time:
Heart Disease
High LDL cholesterol and low HDL cholesterol are both risk factors for atherosclerosis – the leading cause of heart disease .
Atherosclerosis is a condition in which cholesterol, fats, and other substances build-up in the arteries – this build-up becomes known as plaque and it may lead to:
-
Blood clots
-
Aneurysms and chronic kidney disease
Heart Attack
In simple terms, a heart attack occurs when the coronary arteries in your heart suddenly become blocked this cuts off the blood supply to the heart, preventing our heart muscle from functioning properly. This can occur due to a clot or a build-up of atherosclerotic plaque in these vessels.
High cholesterol over a prolonged period of time may play a role in ones risk of experiencing a heart attack.
Stroke
Stroke refers to a condition in which sufficient blood flow cannot reach the brain, this may lead to cell death in our nervous tissue . High cholesterol is a risk factor for stroke due to a build-up of atherosclerotic plaque which may block blood flow to parts of the brain.
There are two main forms of stroke:
High Blood Pressure
Type 2 diabetes
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What Are The Symptoms Of High Cholesterol
High cholesterol typically doesnt cause any symptoms. In most cases it only causes emergency events. For instance, a heart attack or stroke can result from the damage caused by high cholesterol.
These events typically dont occur until high cholesterol leads to the formation of plaque in your arteries. Plaque can narrow arteries so less blood can pass through. The formation of plaque changes the makeup of your arterial lining. This could lead to serious complications.
A blood test is the only way to know if your cholesterol is too high. This means having a total blood cholesterol level above 240 milligrams per deciliter . Ask your doctor to give you a cholesterol test after you turn 20 years old. Then get your cholesterol rechecked every 4 to 6 years.
Your doctor may also suggest you have your cholesterol checked more frequently if you have a family history of high cholesterol. Or if you demonstrate the following risk factors:
- have high blood pressure
- smoke
Who Should Have A Cholesterol Test
When you reach 40, your GP may offer you a cholesterol test. This will be part of a health check to work out your risk of developing heart disease and stroke.
Your GP may also offer you a cholesterol test if you:
- having a family history of high cholesterol
- might have kidney disease
- losing any excess weight
- making sure you dont drink more than the recommended alcohol limits
Some foods have quite a lot of cholesterol in them. These include eggs, shellfish and offal. You might think you always need to avoid these if you have high cholesterol. However, experts think that its much more important to reduce the amount of saturated fats you eat. You should cut down on the high cholesterol foods if your doctor or dietitian advises you to.
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Top 6 Side Effects Of High Cholesterol On The Body You Should Know
Cholesterol helps the body produce hormones, bile acids and vitamin D. It moves in the blood to all parts of the body. Cholesterol is found in eggs, dairy products, meat and poultry. Egg yolks and organ meats contain high cholesterol content. Fish generally contains less cholesterol than other meats, but some shellfish are high in cholesterol. Foods from plants do not contain cholesterol. The fat content is not a measure of cholesterol. For example, liver is low in fat but high in cholesterol.
Cholesterol is very necessary for the development of the body. However, too much cholesterol may cause health problems. Increased cholesterol can be inherited or caused by an unhealthy diet and lack of exercise. The prevention of increased cholesterol consists of limiting high cholesterol foods, exercising regularly and asking your doctor about any question and drug relating to high cholesterol. Here are common diseases and conditions caused by a high increase of cholesterol:
Facts And Statistics About Cholesterol
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 73.5 million adults in the United States 31.7 percent of the population have high levels of LDL cholesterol.
Fewer than one in three adults with high LDL cholesterol have the condition under control.
Less than half of adults with high LDL cholesterol are getting treatment to lower it, the CDC notes.
High cholesterol becomes more common as people age. Decade by decade, your cholesterol can edge upward:
- In their twenties, 22 percent of people have high cholesterol.
- In their thirties, 38 percent of people have high cholesterol.
- In their forties, 50 percent of people have high cholesterol.
- In their fifties, 62 percent of people have high cholesterol.
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How Can I Lower My Cholesterol Level
The first step in reducing your cholesterol is to maintain a healthy, balanced diet. It’s important to keep your diet low in fatty food.
You can swap food containing saturated fat for fruit, vegetables and wholegrain cereals. This will also help prevent high cholesterol returning.
Other lifestyle changes, such as taking regular exercise and giving up smoking, can also make a big difference in helping to lower your cholesterol.
If these measures don’t reduce your cholesterol and you continue to have a high risk of developing heart disease, your GP may prescribe a cholesterol-lowering medication, such as statins.
Your GP will take into account the risk of any side effects from statins. The benefit of lowering your cholesterol must outweigh any risks.
Read more about how high cholesterol is treated
Effects Of High Cholesterol On Limbs
Numbness in the legs
Hardening of the arteries from excess LDL cholesterol can cause numbness in your legs or feet.
On the other hand, plaque can also block the flow of blood to arteries that supply blood to your intestinal tract, legs, and feet.
This is called peripheral arterial disease .
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Note
Understand the causes and prevention of the disease so that you can promptly treat the signs and symptoms of the disease.
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Bad Cholesterol And Diabetes
In diabetes, a healthy balance between high-density lipoprotein and low-density lipoprotein is disturbed in the body. People with diabetes have more chances of retaining bad cholesterol in the body. The bad cholesterol adheres to their arteries and damages their walls. It makes diabetic people more prone to serious heart diseases.
Ldl Cholesterol Or Bad Cholesterol
Low-density lipoprotein is often called bad cholesterol. It carries cholesterol to your arteries. If your levels of LDL cholesterol are too high, it can build up on the walls of your arteries.
The buildup is also known as cholesterol plaque. This plaque can narrow your arteries, limit your blood flow, and raise your risk of blood clots. If a blood clot blocks an artery in your heart or brain, it can cause a heart attack or stroke.
According to the
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What Is High Cholesterol
High cholesterol is when there’s too much bad cholesterol and/or not enough good cholesterol in your blood.
This picture shows what it looks like if you have low cholesterol, normal cholesterol and bad cholesterol levels.
Sometimes health professionals talk about the terms dyslipidaemia and hyperlipidaemia. Both are clinical terms that mean your levels of cholesterol are outside the normal range.
Symptoms of high cholesterol
You won’t know if you have high cholesterol because it doesn’t usually have symptoms. The only way to know is to have a blood test.
Why does high cholesterol matter?
When your cholesterol is too high it can build up as plaque in your arteries. If the plaque gets too big, or breaks off, it can cause a heart attack and stroke. This risk also increases when your triglycerides are too high.
Your doctor will use the results of your blood test and your other heart attack risk factors to decide whether you need medication to lower your cholesterol or triglyceride levels.
What Happens If You Have High Cholesterol
What does high cholesterol mean?
High cholesterol means there is too much cholesterol in your blood. This can clog up your arteries the large blood vessels that carry blood around your body. Over time, this can lead to serious problems.
How does cholesterol clog up your arteries?
Excess cholesterol can be laid down in the walls of your arteries. Fatty areas known as plaques can form, and these become harder with time, making the arteries stiffer and narrower. This process is called atherosclerosis.
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Narrowed arteries
When the arteries become narrower, its harder for blood to flow through them. This puts a strain on your heart because it has to work harder to pump blood around your body. Eventually, the heart can become weak and cant work as well as it should.
-
Blood clots
Blood clots can form over the fatty, hardened parts of the arteries. The blood clots can block the artery completely, cutting off the blood flow. Bits of the blood clots can break away and become lodged in an artery or vein in another part of the body, which can cause a heart attack or stroke.
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