When To See A Doctor
A person with diabetes should see their doctor regularly to monitor and manage their diabetes.
They may also wish to consult a doctor who specializes in treating new or worsening fatigue that interferes with daily life.
People should seek medical attention for fatigue that occurs alongside other symptoms, such as fever, chills, or malaise, as these could indicate an infection.
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Why Do I Have High Cholesterol
For many people, lifestyle plays a big role in the development of the condition. Its often due to a combination of diet and how active you are, as well as your genetic capacity to produce cholesterol, says Raj Khandwalla, MD, cardiologist and director of digital therapeutics at Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles. Being overweight and smoking can also increase your chances of developing high cholesterol.
If You Are Suffering From High Blood Pressure Or You Are Obese Or If You Smoke Then It Is Important To Take Care Of Your Health This Can Lead To High Cholesterol
High cholesterol is a major cause behind a lot of diseases
Symptoms
On a typical note, high cholesterol doesnt have any symptoms but unfortunately, it causes emergency. Due to high cholesterol, a person may get stroke or heart attack. These occur when high cholesterol lets a formation of plaque in the arteries. Plaque narrows arteries so lesser amount of blood can pass by. This plaque formation changes the makeup of the arterial lining and this leads to serious complications. You are required to do a blood test to know if the cholesterol is too high. If you showcase the following symptoms then you should take it seriously:
- High blood pressure
Some of the causes of high cholesterol are:
1. Genetic conditions
It is a condition that passes through genes causing high cholesterol. This condition is called as familial hypercholesterolemia. People who have this condition have cholesterol levels of 300 mg/dL or higher. These can lead to xanthoma that appears in a form of yellow patch above the skin, or a lump underneath the skin.
2. Coronary artery disease
It is considered to be one of the prime reasons of deaths among both men and women. Some of the symptoms include chest pain, nausea, extreme fatigue, and shortness of breath, upper abdomen back, and neck pain
3. Stroke
Stroke is considered to be a medical emergency. It is important to seek medical attention if you feel symptoms like sudden loss of balance, dizziness, confusion, severe headache, inability to move etc.
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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.
Unfortunately These Drugs Can Be An Insidious Cause Of Fatigue
Statin medications are in the top 3 of most prescribed medications. More than thirty million Americans are currently taking cholesterol medication. In Canada, one in ten people is taking a statin drug. But doctors feel that number should be closer to one in four people. Thats 25% of the Canadian population!
Lipitor is thought to be the best selling medication in history. In 2008, Lipitor alone reached sales of more than $12 billion. Clearly, these drugs are prescribed at incredibly high rates.
Perhaps the surge in cholesterol medication use could be behind the high levels of fatigue purported by many North American citizens.
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Is There A Link Between High Cholesterol And Migraine Headaches
Dr. Laffin notes that theres isnt any research that proves high cholesterol causes migraine headaches. We often think of migraine headaches as perhaps a vasodilation phenomenon, he says, or something that occurs when blood vessels expand, or dilate. Thats a completely separate phenomenon from atherosclerosis.
In the last few years, however, several studies have found interesting associations between cholesterol levels and migraine headaches.
For example, a 2015 study found that people who had frequent, intense migraines had higher total cholesterol levels and higher levels of LDL cholesterol. When people in the study received three months of treatment, which helped reduce their migraines, these levels decreased.
However, this study included just 52 people, which is too small of a pool to draw major, sweeping conclusions. And the results dont mean high cholesterol is causing these migraines. The general take-home is theres an association when were talking about migraine headaches, Dr. Laffin says. But that doesnt necessarily mean cause and effect.
A separate 2011 study found that people who have migraine with aura a specific kind of migraine that comes with vision or speech changes had higher total cholesterol and triglycerides levels when compared to people who didnt experience headaches. However, this is also a case of association meaning you cant say that the higher cholesterol levels caused them to have migraine with aura.
Dangers Of Statin Drugs: What You Havent Been Told About Popular Cholesterol
Hypercholesterolemia is the health issue of the 21st century. It is actually an invented disease, a problem that emerged when health professionals learned how to measure cholesterol levels in the blood. High cholesterol exhibits no outward signsunlike other conditions of the blood, such as diabetes or anemia, diseases that manifest telltale symptoms like thirst or weaknesshypercholesterolemia requires the services of a physician to detect its presence. Many people who feel perfectly healthy suffer from high cholesterolin fact, feeling good is actually a symptom of high cholesterol!
Doctors who treat this new disease must first convince their patients that they are sick and need to take one or more expensive drugs for the rest of their lives, drugs that require regular checkups and blood tests. But such doctors do not work in a vacuumtheir efforts to convert healthy people into patients are bolstered by the full weight of the US government, the media and the medical establishment, agencies that have worked in concert to disseminate the cholesterol dogma and convince the population that high cholesterol is the forerunner of heart disease and possibly other diseases as well.
The drugs that doctors use to treat the new disease are called statinssold under a variety of names including Lipitor , Zocor , Mevacor and Pravachol .
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How To Prevent High Cholesterol
As with many other conditions, preventing high cholesterol from occurring in the first place is better than a cure because of the range of controllable risk factors. To prevent high cholesterol, you should:
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Eat a nutritious diet low in fat and salt
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Avoid excessive alcohol consumption
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Quit or avoid taking up smoking
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Ensure you get regular exercise
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Manage your stress levels.
If you think you may be at risk of high cholesterol levels, or if you havent had your cholesterol levels checked recently, contact your GP today.
Low Hdl Or High Ldl Cholesterol May Raise Risk Of Memory Loss
Your cholesterol levels may be associated with your memory. Studies suggest that memory loss is associated with low levels of high-density lipoprotein the “good cholesterol” and high levels of triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein , the “bad cholesterol.” Researchers believe this memory loss may lead to dementia later in life.
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How Can I Lower My Cholesterol Naturally
For many people, revamping everyday habits can go a long way toward lowering cholesterol without medication. There are a number of lifestyle changes that can be made, and they fall under the categories of diet and exercise, says Dr. Khandwalla.
Eating heart-healthy foods is a great place to start. This means reducing your intake of red meat and full-fat dairy products, both of which contain saturated fats that raise cholesterol. Instead, focus on eating lean proteins chicken, turkey, seafood and adding more soluble fiber to your diet from fruits, vegetables, and oatmeal, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute . Getting aerobic exercise most days of the week can also help lower cholesterol.
The Heart Of The Matter
Cholesterol affects every single cell, organ, and biological process that makes you you. Everyone has it, and everyone needs it but the goal is to have more of the good kind and less of the less-good kind.
High cholesterol usually shows up without warning there arent really any physical symptoms to rely on. If left untreated, high LDL cholesterol can lead to heart disease, stroke, and peripheral artery disease.
Get a regular physical and blood test! Its the only reliable detection method.
High cholesterol is treatable. Its usually managed with medication and lifestyle changes. Theres a lot you can do to help prevent high cholesterol:
- Stick to a healthy diet.
- Get regular exercise.
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The Lowdown Onhigh Cholesterol
There are a number of potential causes of high cholesterol. A brief spike in cholesterol can be caused by dietary changes, weight gain, lack of exercise, manifestation of LDL receptor dysfunction or onset of other diseases, says Guy L. Mintz, MD, director of cardiovascular health and lipidology at Sandra Atlas Bass Heart Hospital in Manhasset, New York.
Other behaviors that can cause your cholesterol to spike include smoking, exposure to tobacco smoke and excess weight, according to the American Heart Association. A family history of high cholesterol can also be the culprit, but non-heart-healthy behaviors are usually to blame.
Contrary to popular belief, however, high cholesterol does not cause headaches or dizziness, says Dr. Mintz. In fact, high cholesterol does not cause any specific symptoms, according to the NIH.
That said, people with extremely high cholesterol can show certain signs, such as xanthoma and corneal arcus .
Too Much Cholesterol In The Blood Directly Affects The Heart And May Result In An Increase In Cardiac
Mumbai: Cholesterol is a fatty substance known as a lipid and is vital for the normal functioning of the body. While “good” cholesterol have long known to be beneficial, its excess can also raise your risk of death, researchers claim. Once too much of cholesterol start to accumulate in our body, it becomes a breeding ground for physiology disorders. Too much cholesterol in the blood directly affects the heart and may result in an increase in cardiac-related illnesses. Increasing cholesterol also increases the risk of heart attack.
Here are some of the symptoms which indicate cholesterol increase in the body:
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Change The Way You Eat
One of the contributing factors in the development of high blood cholesterol is a diet high in saturated fat, which is a form of fat typically found in foods that come from animal sources, including beef, pork, poultry, and dairy products like cheese and milk. Saturated fat can also be found in processed food and snacks like chips, cookies, and doughnuts.
To cut out saturated fat and eat in a way that will help lower your LDL cholesterol levels, switch to a plant-based diet filled with fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. The Mediterranean diet is one such plant-based diet thats rich in nutrients and phytochemicals. The diet includes healthy fats such as olive oil and fish, but plant-based foods make up the bulk of each meal. Red meat is limited to no more than a few times a month. This diet originated in countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, where theres significantly lower incidence of heart disease.
What Are The Warning Signs Of High Cholesterol
High cholesterol typically doesnt have any symptoms until it is an emergency event. The only way to know if you have a high level of ldl cholesterol is through a blood test. Leaving cholesterol untreated can lead to the buildup of plaque over time, damaging the heart and putting you at risk for a heart attack or stroke. Keep an eye out for heart attack or early stroke symptoms like:
- Nausea
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What Are The Conditions Associated With Pad
If left untreated, patients with PAD can develop serious health problems, including:
- Heart attack: permanent damage to the heart muscle caused by a lack of blood supply to the heart for an extended time
- Stroke: interruption of the blood flow to the brain
- Transient ischemic attack : a temporary interruption in the blood supply to the brain)
- Renal artery disease or stenosis: a narrowing or blockage of the artery that supplies blood to the kidney
- Amputation: the removal of part or all of the foot or leg , especially in people who also have diabetes
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What Exactly Is Cholesterol
Everyone has cholesterol, a yellowy-white wax-like lipid thats in every cell of your body. Cholesterol keeps your cells and organs working properly. It also plays a major role in hormone, vitamin, and digestive fluid production.
Cholesterol comes from two sources 80 percent is naturally produced by your liver and intestines, and your diet accounts for the last 20 percent.
High cholesterol is a creeper condition it usually doesnt have any symptoms. It can go undetected until you have blood work or a serious health event like a stroke or heart attack.
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Cardiovascular And Circulatory Systems
When you have too much LDL cholesterol in your body it can build up in your arteries, clogging them and making them less flexible. Hardening of the arteries is called atherosclerosis. Blood doesnt flow as well through stiff arteries, so your heart has to work harder to push blood through them. Over time, as plaque builds up in your arteries, you can develop heart disease.
Plaque buildup in coronary arteries can disrupt the flow of oxygen-rich blood to your heart muscle. This may cause chest pain called angina. Angina isnt a heart attack, but it is a temporary disruption of blood flow. Its a warning that youre at risk for a heart attack. A piece of plaque can eventually break off and form a clot or the artery may continue to become narrowed which can fully block blood flow to your heart, leading to a heart attack. If this process occurs in the arteries going to the brain or within the brain it can lead to a stroke.
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 .
What Are Statins How Do They Reduce The Risk Of Cardiovascular Disease
If you have high cholesterol levels on your blood tests, your doctor may prescribe statins to lower your cholesterol. The treatment can help to reduce your stroke and heart disease risk and improve your cardiovascular health.
Statins work by blocking a substance that the liver needs to make cholesterol. This leads to the reduction of the cholesterol amount in the blood, thus reducing the risk of cardiac events.
While these drugs are highly effective and safe for most people, they can cause side effects.
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These Blood Chemistry Factors Are Far Greater Indicators Of Cvd Risk Than Cholesterol
If there are better ways to assess a persons cardiovascular risk, dont you think your doctor should test for it? The reality is that there ARE far greater indicators other than cholesterol. Why are these not routinely tested then? Ill tell you EXACTLY why: Drug companies dont make drugs to treat these blood chemistry factors and therefore THERE IS NO MONEY TO BE MADE! They are controlled chiefly through nutritional intervention. If your doctor refuses to test these vital blood chemistry factors, fire your doctor:
- Cardio CRP
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Surprising Body Cues That Could Be A Heart Concern
The classic signs of heart troublechest tightness, pressure or painare far from its only signals. People often fail to connect other symptoms theyre experiencing to their actual cause: the heart. This can result in failing to get the help they need for an emergency heart issue, like heart attack or stroke, or a critical delay in getting possible heart disease diagnosed and treated.
Most people know their bodies better than any doctor does. In general, if you constantly feel something isnt right or isnt what youre used to, that warrants medical attention, says Parag Joshi, M.D., a cardiology fellow with the Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease.
Your whole body can be involved in sending the message that somethings wrong with your heart.
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Diet And Lifestyle Modifications
The first step in managing hyperlipidemia is modifying the lifestyle factors that contribute to abnormally high blood fatsâdiet, lack of exercise, smoking, and the overuse of alcohol.
Among the lifestyle interventions a healthcare provider may recommend:
- Diet: Reduce intake of saturated fats to less than 7% of total daily calories and total fat to less than 30%. Replace saturated fats with healthier polyunsaturated or monosaturated fats. Increase intake of fruit and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and oily fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
- Weight loss: Weight loss is currently recommended for obese people with a body mass index over 30 and overweight people with a BMI between 25 and 29.9 who have at least two risk factors for cardiovascular disease .
- Exercise: The general consensus is that at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise should be performed three to four times per week.
- Smoking: Kicking this habit is possibly the single most significant lifestyle change a person can make to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Stop smoking aids like nicotine replacement therapies and Zyban can significantly improve chances of quitting.
- Alcohol: The American Heart Association recommends limiting alcohol intake to no more than two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women.
