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.
Medications To Treat High Cholesterol
For most people who need medication to manage high cholesterol, doctors will prescribe statins. Statins, also known as HMG CoA reductase inhibitors, are a class of drugs that prevent cholesterol from forming in the liver, where both LDL and HDL cholesterol are made. This lowers the amount of cholesterol circulating in the blood. They are most effective at lowering LDL cholesterol but can also lower triglycerides and HDL cholesterol.
If you have certain conditions, or if statins arent working to decrease your high cholesterol sufficiently, your doctor may prescribe one of these other cholesterol-lowering medications:
- PCSK9 Inhibitors A newer type of medicine, PCSK9 inhibitors bind to and inactivate a protein on certain liver cells, which then lowers LDL cholesterol. Administered by injection, they are often used in patients with high cholesterol that doesnt respond to statins or people with familial hypercholesterolemia.
- Selective Cholesterol Absorption Inhibitors The most commonly used nonstatin agent, according to the AHA, selective cholesterol absorption inhibitors prevent cholesterol from being absorbed in the intestine. This means less cholesterol is delivered to the liver and, ultimately, the blood.
- Bile Acid Sequestrants Also known as bile-acid-binding agents, these drugs work by removing bile acids from the liver. Since LDL cholesterol is needed to make bile acids, the body then breaks down more LDL cholesterol particles.
How Is High Cholesterol Treated
Lifestyle changes better diet, more exercise, weight loss, and elimination of tobacco products are the preferred methods for lowering cholesterol. Though good for your overall health, these changes dont always have the desired effect of reducing cholesterol enough. In those cases, your physician may prescribe one or more of the following medications.
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/6how To Reduce Risk Of Cholesterol Related
To reduce your risk of PAD and other cholesterol related-problems, you should keep high cholesterol levels in check. Eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly are very important. There are several foods which can actively help to lower your cholesterol. The key is to cut down on saturated fat and consume unsaturated fats instead. These healthy fats can be found in vegetable oils such as olive, sunflower, nut and seed oils. Fish oils are a good source of healthy unsaturated fats, specifically omega-3 fats.
Regular exercise can also lower your high cholesterol levels. According to experts, you should aim for at least 150 minutes of exercise a week. If you are a beginner, you can start by trying brisk walking, swimming and cycling. You can always give a shot to different kinds of exercises and find something you can enjoy doing on a regular basis.
/6effects Of High Cholesterol In Body
Due to high cholesterol fatty deposits occur in the blood vessels. Over time these deposits grow and restrict the flow of blood.
In some cases, these deposits break down into small clots and limit the blood flow completely for some time leading to a heart attack or stroke.
Thus high cholesterol affects the nervous system, and cardiovascular system the most, though its impact is visible on other parts of the body as well.
While a certain amount of cholesterol is essential for the body to perform several bodily functions, it should always be checked that one does not let it cross the threshold level.
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Ldl Cholesterol Or Bad Cholesterol
LDL cholesterol 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.
This 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.
How Can I Lower My Cholesterol
You can lower your cholesterol through heart-healthy lifestyle changes. They include a heart-healthy eating plan, weight management, and regular physical activity.
If the lifestyle changes alone do not lower your cholesterol enough, you may also need to take medicines. There are several types of cholesterol-lowering drugs available, including statins. If you take medicines to lower your cholesterol, you still should continue with the lifestyle changes.
Some people with familial hypercholesterolemia may receive a treatment called lipoprotein apheresis. This treatment uses a filtering machine to remove LDL cholesterol from the blood. Then the machine returns the rest of the blood back to the person.
NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
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Subtle Signs Your Body Shows When Your Cholesterol Is Too High
Are you feeling a little under the weather recently? Perhaps its just a bug or a virus. We all go through small periods where we feel like our health is failing us. If the same old symptoms keep popping up, though, it might be time to wonder if your body really is failing you. At that stage, we recommend that you take a closer look at your general health. For example, many of us could so easily miss the signs of a potentially fatal health problem building up such as high cholesterol.
The lifestyle many of us lead sedentary physical activities and excessive eating of processed foods leads to high cholesterol.
Add in the stress-laden lifestyle that many of us live as well, and its easy to see why our bodies are in flux. However, blink, and you would probably miss some of the more subtle signs that you have problems with your cholesterol.So, what can you do if that is the case? Hcg-injections.org recommend that you consider some of the following subtle signs. They arent the most obvious but all of them require you to act.
1. Heart attack
2. High Blood Pressure
3. Diabetes
4. Chest pain or angina
5. Stroke
6. Pain while walking
About the Author: James Adams is a community manager at Hcg injections, he is passionate about website operations and learning the latest web trends. When not working James enjoys working out at the gym and cycling.
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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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What Causes High Cholesterol
Your liver produces cholesterol, but you also get cholesterol from food. Eating too many foods that are high in fat can increase your cholesterol level.
Being overweight and inactive also causes high cholesterol. If you are overweight, you most likely have a higher level of triglycerides. If you never exercise and arent active in general, it can lower your HDL .
You family history also affects your cholesterol level. Research has shown that high cholesterol tends to run in families. If you have an immediate family member who has it, you could have it, too.
Smoking also causes high cholesterol. It lowers your HDL .
The Forming Of A Grey Ring Around Your Cornea
This one is pretty tough to spot, so look closely. If you notice that theres a greyish ring around the cornea of your eye, that could be a pretty good indication of high cholesterol being built up in that area. The cornea covers the iris of the eye. Because the grey rings are common with older people, its only a reliable indicator of high cholesterol for people under 45.
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/6what You Should Know About Cholesterol Management
Based on the various risk factors associated with high cholesterol and estimating the susceptibility to it, an individual should by all means try to avoid the accumulation of cholesterol or try to manage it if detected already.
The key components of a healthy cholesterol management are diet and exercise.
One should be particular about the food one eats and should always keep away from foods which are known to elevate cholesterol level in the body.
Physical activity is also essential to keep your body moving and also to keep your metabolic activity at the best.
Family History And Other Tests
Knowing if any family members are affected by heart disease is an important step in identifying an individualâs personal risk for FH.
Other blood tests may include specialized cholesterol and lipid tests, along with genetic tests that establish whether you have any of the known defective genes.
Identifying those with FH through genetic testing has allowed for early treatment. This has led to a decrease in death due to heart disease at a young age and helped identify other family members at risk for the condition.
Heart tests that include ultrasounds and a stress test may also be recommended.
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What Should My Cholesterol Levels Be
Blood cholesterol is measured in units called millimoles per litre of blood, often shortened to mmol/L.
As a general guide, total cholesterol levels should be:
- 5mmol/L or less for healthy adults
- 4mmol/L or less for those at high risk
As a general guide, LDL levels should be:
- 3mmol/L or less for healthy adults
- 2mmol/L or less for those at high risk
An ideal level of HDL is above 1mmol/L. A lower level of HDL can increase your risk of heart disease.
Your ratio of total cholesterol to HDL may also be calculated. This is your total cholesterol level divided by your HDL level. Generally, this ratio should be below four, as a higher ratio increases your risk of heart disease.
Cholesterol is only one risk factor. The level at which specific treatment is required will depend on whether other risk factors, such as smoking and high blood pressure, are also present.
What Health Problems Can High Cholesterol Cause
If you have large deposits of plaque in your arteries, an area of plaque can rupture . This can cause a blood clot to form on the surface of the plaque. If the clot becomes large enough, it can mostly or completely block blood flow in a coronary artery.
If the flow of oxygen-rich blood to your heart muscle is reduced or blocked, it can cause angina or a heart attack.
Plaque also can build up in other arteries in your body, including the arteries that bring oxygen-rich blood to your brain and limbs. This can lead to problems such as carotid artery disease, stroke, and peripheral arterial disease.
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What Are Hdl Ldl And Vldl
HDL, LDL, and VLDL are lipoproteins. They are a combination of fat and protein. The lipids need to be attached to the proteins so they can move through the blood. Different types of lipoproteins have different purposes:
- HDL stands for high-density lipoprotein. It is sometimes called “good” cholesterol because it carries cholesterol from other parts of your body back to your liver. Your liver then removes the cholesterol from your body.
- LDL stands for low-density lipoprotein. It is sometimes called “bad” cholesterol because a high LDL level leads to the buildup of plaque in your arteries.
- VLDL stands for very low-density lipoprotein. Some people also call VLDL a “bad” cholesterol because it too contributes to the buildup of plaque in your arteries. But VLDL and LDL are different VLDL mainly carries triglycerides and LDL mainly carries cholesterol.
Who Should 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
- are over the age of 40 people over 40 should have their estimate of CVD risk reviewed regularly
- have a family history of early cardiovascular disease for example, if your father or brother developed heart disease or had a heart attack or stroke before the age of 55, or if your mother or sister had these conditions before the age of 65
- have a close family member who has a cholesterol-related condition, such as familial hypercholesterolaemia
- are overweight or obese
- have high blood pressure or diabetes
- have another medical condition, such as kidney disease, an underactive thyroid, or an inflamed pancreas these conditions can cause increased levels of cholesterol or triglycerides
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Why Should I Lower My Cholesterol
Evidence strongly indicates that high cholesterol can increase the risk of:
- narrowing of the arteries
- transient ischaemic attack often known as a “mini stroke”
- peripheral arterial disease
This is because cholesterol can build up in the artery wall, restricting the blood flow to your heart, brain and the rest of your body. It also increases the risk of a blood clot developing somewhere in your body.
Your risk of developing coronary heart disease also rises as your blood’s cholesterol level increases. This can cause pain in your chest or arm during stress or physical activity .
Signs And Symptoms Of High Cholesterol
Typically, high cholesterol doesnt cause any symptoms until it causes a medical emergency, like a heart attack or stroke. These heart-disease-related events dont occur until high cholesterol levels have led to fatty plaque building up in the arteries. In turn, this leads to a narrowing of the arteries and a change in the makeup of the arterial lining, also known as heart disease.
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Complications Of High Cholesterol
Since high cholesterol alone typically doesnt cause any symptoms, people only experience complications when their high cholesterol contributes to the development of severe heart disease, often in the form of heart attack or stroke. Over the long term, high cholesterol can cause plaque to form in your arteries, which can then narrow and lead to a cardiovascular emergency.
/6symptoms Of High Cholesterol In Body
According to the University of California San Francisco’s Department of Surgery, symptoms of high cholesterol may include cramping in the affected leg and in the buttocks, thighs, calves, and feet. These cramps may ease after resting. Other signs and symptoms of PAD include weak or absent pulses in the legs or feet and sores or wounds on the toes, feet, or legs that heal slowly, poorly, or not at all. Your skin may develop a pale or bluish colour. You may feel a lower temperature in one leg compared to the other leg. You may experience poor nail growth on the toes and decreased hair growth on the legs. Men who also have diabetes can experience erectile dysfunction.
Despite these symptoms, there are many people who have PAD and dont have any signs or symptoms of the disease. You should see your doctor if you experience any of these symptoms, especially recurring pain.
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Make Fitness A Lifestyle Not A Fad
Many people make the mistake of going hard toward fitness goals, but slacking off once theyve been achieved. They see fitness as a means to an end, not a way to live their life. This can lead to health problems and weight gain. Failing to see fitness as a lifestyle choice means you wont reap the long-term benefits of regular exercise.
Sure, exercise can help you lose or maintain weight in the short term. But an active lifestyle provides lasting benefits. It can reduce your risk for potential health complications, including:
- high blood pressure
Tingles In Your Hands And Feet
A sort of tingling sensation in your hands and your feet definitely isnt uncommon if youre dealing with too high cholesterol levels. Because of blocked blood vessels, the peripheral nerves in your feet and hands are also affected as theyre not getting enough oxygen and blood flow. This usually doesnt result in pain, but can induce a rather noticeable tingling sensation instead.
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Can You Treat High Cholesterol
With proper treatment and diet and lifestyle changes you can get your cholesterol back to a healthy level. On the other hand, if high cholesterol remains untreated you could develop coronary artery disease , peripheral arterial disease and/or suffer a heart attack, stroke or transient ischemic attack . There are many secondary issues that can arise from high cholesterol, such as PAD. 20% of people with PAD suffer a nonfatal heart attack within 5 years.
Knowing What To Look For In Medical Tests
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