Cholesterol is a naturally-occurring substance found in your blood. It plays an important role in cell building and hormone production, but cholesterol levels that get too high can start doing more harm than good.
About 2 in 5 American adults have high cholesterol. It’s a leading risk factor for heart disease, because it causes fatty buildup in your blood vessels, restricts blood flow, and makes your heart work harder.
Many people know that high cholesterol poses a risk to heart and vascular health. Unfortunately, high cholesterol can also have whole-body health impacts, from increased risk of stroke to numbness in the legs.
Kunal Patel, MD, and our team at NJ Cardiovascular Institute take a comprehensive approach to heart care and cholesterol management. We work with patients to educate them on the impacts of high cholesterol and how they can protect and improve their health.
Here are a few lesser-known impacts of high cholesterol.
1. Increased risk of stroke
A stroke is a medical emergency that occurs when the blood supply to part of your brain is interrupted. If you have high cholesterol, the blood vessels in your brain can narrow along with vessels in the rest of your body.
A stroke can happen when a blood clot blocks blood flow or a narrowed artery significantly reduces blood flow. Signs of a stroke include sudden weakness, speech difficulty, vision changes, and dizziness. In the event of a stroke, it’s extremely important to seek immediate medical care to prevent severe complications or death.
2. Increased risk of gallstones
Cholesterol is an essential element of bile, a digestive substance that helps your body break down dietary fats and absorb fat-soluble vitamins. When you have high blood cholesterol levels, the cholesterol content in bile increases too.
This extra cholesterol, along with calcium, salt, and other minerals, can crystalize and harden into gallstones. Gallstones are hard deposits found in your gallbladder, and they can be very painful.
3. Increased risk of leg pain and numbness
Your legs are quite far from your heart, but they’re also at risk of complications from high cholesterol. Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a complication that can develop when the arteries in your legs get too narrow due to buildup from high cholesterol levels.
PAD can cause numbness and tingling in your legs or feet. Loss of sensation can increase your risk of ulcers and other slow-healing wounds. Another common symptom of PAD is leg pain that feels like muscle cramping, particularly with physical activity.
Undiagnosed and untreated high cholesterol can have a serious impact on your health. The good news is that you have options when it comes to managing your high cholesterol.
Dr. Patel and our team can recommend lifestyle changes, including nutrition and exercise guidance, to lower cholesterol levels naturally. Cholesterol medication can also be an effective option for many people.
Have you had your cholesterol checked lately? Schedule a consultation at NJ Cardiovascular Institute to find out more about improving your cholesterol levels, cardiovascular health, and whole-body wellness. Contact us over the phone or book an appointment online today.
FAQs
Too much bad cholesterol in your blood can increase your chance of getting heart disease, stroke, and other problems. Common medical terms for high blood cholesterol are lipid disorder, hyperlipidemia, or hypercholesterolemia, with the last being the most precise.
How does high levels of cholesterol affect your health and fitness? ›
Your body needs cholesterol to build healthy cells, but high levels of cholesterol can increase your risk of heart disease. With high cholesterol, you can develop fatty deposits in your blood vessels. Eventually, these deposits grow, making it difficult for enough blood to flow through your arteries.
What are the effects of high cholesterol on the heart? ›
Non-high-density lipoproteins or non-HDL is known as 'bad' cholesterol. Too much non-HDL leads to a build up of fatty deposits inside the walls of the blood vessels (channels that carry blood throughout your body). This builds up and narrows blood vessels, increasing the risk of a heart attack or stroke.
What does a cardiologist do for high cholesterol? ›
To treat high cholesterol, cardiologists create a custom treatment plan that include steps to lower overall blood cholesterol levels. It may include: Adopting a heart-healthy lifestyle – exercise, a heart-healthy diet and maintaining a healthy weight.
What are 3 dangers of high cholesterol? ›
High cholesterol raises your risk of conditions like peripheral artery disease, high blood pressure and stroke. High cholesterol is common among people with diabetes.
What are three symptoms of high cholesterol in the body? ›
You develop symptoms of heart disease, stroke, or atherosclerosis in other blood vessels, such as left-sided chest pain, pressure, or fullness; dizziness; unsteady gait; slurred speech; or pain in the lower legs. Any of these conditions may be linked to high cholesterol, and each requires medical help right away.
What is the golden drink that lowers cholesterol? ›
Turmeric Milk For Lowering High Cholesterol Levels Naturally
It's a fatty substance found in your blood, needed by the body to construct healthy cells. However, too much 'bad' cholesterol or LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol can put your heart health at risk, even leading to strokes.
What does cholesterol do in the body? ›
Cholesterol is a fat-like, waxy substance that helps your body make cell membranes, many hormones, and vitamin D. The cholesterol in your blood comes from two sources: the foods you eat and your liver. Your liver makes all the cholesterol your body needs.
What is the best drink to lower cholesterol? ›
Best drinks to improve cholesterol
- Green tea. Green tea contains catechins and other antioxidant compounds that seem to help lower LDL and total cholesterol levels. ...
- Soy drinks. Soy is low in saturated fat. ...
- Oat drinks. ...
- Tomato juice. ...
- Berry smoothies. ...
- Drinks containing sterols and stanols. ...
- Cocoa drinks. ...
- Plant milk smoothies.
Unfiltered and French press coffee may raise cholesterol levels, while instant and filter coffee are less likely to affect them. The risk of heightened serum cholesterol levels also depends on how much coffee a person drinks and how sensitive they are to caffeine.
Common side effects
- headache.
- dizziness.
- feeling sick.
- feeling unusually tired or physically weak.
- digestive system problems, such as constipation, diarrhoea, indigestion or farting.
- muscle pain.
- sleep problems.
- low blood platelet count.
These include but are not limited to:
- full fat dairy products, such as cream.
- animal fats, including butter and lard.
- fatty meats.
The buildup of plaque in the arteries can affect all organs, but more specifically, it can affect the heart, brain, and blood supply to the stomach, legs, or feet.
What problems are linked to high levels of cholesterol in humans? ›
The extra LDL cholesterol builds up in the walls of the arteries, forming plaques and causing a medical problem called atherosclerosis. Atherosclerotic plaques can first narrow, then block your arteries, making it harder for blood to flow through. Excess cholesterol in the blood can stick to the walls of your arteries.
What is the number one cause of high cholesterol? ›
An unhealthy lifestyle is the most common cause of high “bad” LDL cholesterol or low “good” HDL cholesterol. However, genes that you inherit from your parents, other medical conditions, and some medicines may also raise LDL cholesterol levels or lower “good” HDL cholesterol levels.
