If You Feel Like This, You Have “Too Much Cholesterol”—Eat This Not That
Are your “bad” (LDL) cholesterol levels too high? “The effects of high cholesterol build up over the years,” says cardiologist Luke Lafin, MD, “We have to be aggressive about trying to lower it. Over a long period of time, high cholesterol increases your risk of stroke, heart attack, and hardening of your arteries, called atherosclerosis. Those are the main things we’re talking about. I worry.” According to doctors, these are the five signs that your cholesterol is too high. Read on—and to ensure your health and the health of others, don’t forget to check out these Sure sign you’ve already had COVID.
Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a dangerous condition where plaque buildup in the arteries of the leg can cause pain. “People will not necessarily think that foot pain is related to heart disease,” Vascular surgeon Andy Lee, MD saysInstructor in Medicine at Harvard Medical School. “But if the arteries to the leg become blocked, it is likely that the coronary arteries are blocked as well. Left untreated, PAD can potentially increase a person’s risk of having a stroke or heart attack. This limb amputation can occur. One of the main reasons for this.”
Dizziness can be a sign of high cholesterol. “Say you have plaque buildup or cholesterol in your carotid arteries and not enough blood flow, or if you have narrowing of certain heart valves, or if you have an arrhythmia, that can make some people dizzy, but maybe more aptly called laziness,” Dr Laffin says,
Chest pain can be a sign of serious illness and should never be ignored. “It’s important to pay attention to your cardiovascular health and if you experience chest pain you should get it checked out immediately.” Luke Pratsides, MD says, “In particular, any chest pain that is worse on exertion may be a sign of a blocked coronary artery that could lead to a fatal heart attack. If you have ever had persistent or worsening chest pain such as someone is sitting on your chest, or someone is radiating to your left arm or jaw, this could be a sign of a heart attack and you should call [an ambulance],
High cholesterol can cause small, yellow fatty deposits called xanthelasma around the eyes. “Often, we see it in the upper eyelids and the inner part of the eyelids closest to the nose,” Says ophthalmologist Nicole Bazic, MD, “We’re not exactly sure why this happens in some people with high cholesterol and not others, but when you see it on someone who doesn’t have a known history of high cholesterol, it’s a good idea to get tested because there They have about a 50% chance.”
High cholesterol can cause erectile dysfunction, doctors warn. “The elderly who have poor heart health, diabetes or metabolic syndrome often experience erectile dysfunction – and the prevalence of these diseases is expected to increase,” John B. Kostis, MD. They say, professor of medicine, director of the Cardiovascular Institute at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and principal investigator of the study. “Our research indicates that statins not only improve heart health and reduce the risk of stroke and heart attack, but also improve erectile function in the men included in our analysis.”
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Firozan Mast is a science, health and wellness writer with a passion for making science and research-backed information accessible to a general audience. Read more about Turquoise
