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Evol Health
HIGH CHOLESTEROL
What Is High Cholesterol?
High cholesterol means you have a high amount of a fatty substance called cholesterol in your blood. Cholesterol is a fat-like waxy substance made by your liver. It travels through your body in your blood. Your body needs it for important tasks like making hormones and digesting fatty food. The food you eat also contains cholesterol which is why experts recommend eating a low-cholesterol diet to maintain your health.
Having too much cholesterol can cause it to build up in your blood vessels. Health professionals call the build-up “plaque.” As the plaque builds up over time, it makes the passageway through the blood vessel narrow making it difficult for blood to pass through. When blood isn’t flowing properly to your heart or other organs, you can experience health conditions such as chest pain, heart attack, or stroke.
Symptoms Of High Cholesterol
Typically, a person with high cholesterol has no symptoms. Most people are unaware that their cholesterol is too high until their medical provider runs a blood test during a routine visit.
In rare cases, people with exceptionally high cholesterol levels and a family history of high cholesterol may notice fatty bumps on their skin, especially around the joints of the hands, feet, elbows, and knees.
What Causes High Cholesterol?
Because your body makes all the cholesterol it needs, having high cholesterol is usually the result of lifestyle. However, some genetics may be involved, along with some medical conditions and medicines that can also raise your cholesterol. Age, race, and gender sometimes play a role as well.
Although high cholesterol is possible at any age, people between the ages of 40 and 59 are most commonly diagnosed. Certain races are more likely to have high cholesterol. And males are more likely than females.
Unhealthy lifestyle habits
Unhealthy lifestyle habits may include:
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Eating too many foods high in saturated fats
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Not getting enough physical activity
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Smoking
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High level of stress
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Drinking too much alcohol
Family medical history
Experts believe that genetics may raise your risk of having high cholesterol. You may be genetically predisposed if you have a family history of unhealthy cholesterol levels. Some people’s bodies have a hard time getting rid of unneeded cholesterol.
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Medical conditions
Several medical conditions raise your risk for high cholesterol. These include:
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Chronic kidney disease
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Diabetes
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HIV infection
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Hypothyroidism
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Lupus
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Overweight and obesity
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Sleep apnea
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Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
Medicines
Some medicines can cause abnormal cholesterol levels, e.g.,
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Arrhythmia medications
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Beta-blockers
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Chemotherapy
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Diuretics
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Immunosuppressive medications
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Retinoids
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Steroids
What’s The Difference Between LDL And HDL?
There are two types of cholesterol in your body. One of them is good for you, and the other causes negative effects.
LDL (Low-Density Lipoprotein)
This lipoprotein is labeled the “bad” cholesterol. It makes up most of your cholesterol, but too much of it raises your risk for heart disease and stroke.
HDL (High-Density Lipoprotein)
This lipoprotein is considered “good” cholesterol. It helps absorb LDL and takes it back to the liver. The liver can break the LDL down and flush it from the body. Having higher HDL levels reduces your risk for heart disease and stroke.
Tips To Prevent High Cholesterol
The good news is that you can take steps to prevent high cholesterol. Things you can do to prevent high cholesterol include:
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Eat less trans fats: Trans fats are found in processed foods, fried foods, and some baked goods.
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Get regular physical activity: Experts recommend getting 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise five days a week. Physical activity helps lower your LDL level and raise your HDL level.
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Eat more fiber: Fiber from fruits and vegetables help lower your LDL.
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Eat lean proteins: Proteins like fish and chicken tend to have lower saturated fats than red meat. Plant-based proteins are also low in saturated fat and high in fiber.
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Maintain a moderate weight: Research shows that having overweight or obesity raises your risk of high cholesterol.
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Limit alcohol: Alcohol may increase your risk for high LDL.
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Stop smoking: Smoking damages your blood vessel walls and also makes LDL stick to them more easily.
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Take your medication: Sometimes, you need more help than just lifestyle changes. If your medical provider thinks that medications will help, be sure to take them as prescribed.
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Manage your stress: Research shows that chronic stress sometimes increases your LDL and decreases your HDL.
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Get enough sleep: While you sleep, your body heals and repairs your heart and blood vessels. Experts recommend seven to nine hours of sleep each night.
Can High Cholesterol Be Treated Online?
Yes, one of our online licensed healthcare professionals can order lipid testing for you and go over your results. If your levels are elevated, our medical provider will go over lifestyle changes you can make to manage your cholesterol and may order you medication.
Can High Cholesterol Be Treated?
Making healthy lifestyle changes and taking medication may help treat your cholesterol. Your medical provider may order a medication called a statin to help lower your cholesterol level. Taking a statin can also lower your risk of heart attack and stroke. Typically, there are little to no side effects, but if you are at high risk for diabetes, it may raise your risk for diabetes. Very rarely, statin medications cause abnormal liver enzymes; however, actual liver damage is rare. Most commonly statins cause muscle pain and fatigue.
How Can An Online Primary Care Provider Help Manage High Cholesterol?
Our online medical providers can go over your lab tests and help you understand why your cholesterol is high. They can go over changes you can make to your diet and exercise and order you a prescription medication to your preferred pharmacy. They can also perform a follow-up online visit and order a re-check of your cholesterol. Following that test, they can review your results and make a plan for going forward
How Is High Cholesterol Managed?
The only way to know if you have high cholesterol is to ask your medical provider to check your cholesterol levels. If you are older than 20 years old, experts recommend you have this test every five years unless you fall into a category of people that is more at risk. It’s a simple blood test called a “lipid profile,” which checks four things:
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Low-density lipoprotein (LDL), “bad” cholesterol
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High-density lipoprotein (HDL), “good” cholesterol
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Triglycerides, a type of fat in your blood
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Total cholesterol, the total amount in your blood
If your medical provider discovers you have high cholesterol levels, they may recommend making some healthy lifestyle changes and write you a prescription for cholesterol medication. When a medication or medical condition may be causing your high cholesterol, your medical provider may change the dose of your medication.