Are you aware of the dangerous diseases caused by high cholesterol?

When you go to the clinic or look at a blood report, you may have heard that 'your cholesterol is a little high', right? Sometimes we don't take this seriously. But in reality, this increase in cholesterol is something that silently lays the foundation for a lot of big problems inside our body. It's like dirt slowly building up inside a water pipe and eventually clogging the pipe. So today, let's talk about what this cholesterol is, what diseases it can cause when it increases, and what we can do to control it.

First, let's understand what cholesterol is.

When talking about cholesterol, we need to know about a few main types. You may have seen these in your blood report (lipid profile). Simply put, these are the types of fats in our bodies.

This LDL cholesterol gets deposited inside the blood vessels and over time forms plaque. In medicine, we call this Atherosclerosis . These plaques gradually narrow the blood vessels, like rust forming inside an old water pipe. This obstructs blood flow. This is the cause of many diseases.

The relationship between cholesterol and coronary heart disease

The main risk of high cholesterol is the risk of death from a heart attack. This is how it happens:

The aforementioned cholesterol plaque builds up in the coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart. This prevents the heart muscle from getting enough blood. This can cause chest pain (angina) when you exercise. Imagine if one of these plaques suddenly broke off and completely blocked a blood vessel? That's when a heart attack occurs.

Cholesterol and Stroke

Cholesterol plaques don't just build up in the blood vessels of the heart. The same thing can happen in the arteries that carry blood to our brain. If a blood vessel to the brain becomes blocked, part of the brain is deprived of blood. This is what we call a stroke . This is a very dangerous condition.

Cholesterol and blockage of blood vessels in the limbs (Peripheral Vascular Disease)

Not only the heart and brain, but also the veins that carry blood to our limbs, especially our legs, can become blocked in this way. We call this Peripheral Vascular Disease.

One of the main symptoms of this is a cramp in the calf muscles at the back of your leg when you walk. It goes away after you sit for a while and rest. This is like angina, but it happens in your legs.

The relationship between cholesterol and diabetes

If you have diabetes, you need to think twice about your cholesterol. Diabetes can cause an imbalance between "good" cholesterol (HDL) and "bad" cholesterol (LDL).

People with diabetes have LDL cholesterol particles that stick to their blood vessels more easily, causing damage to them. Also, people with diabetes, especially those with Type 2 Diabetes, have low HDL levels and high triglyceride levels. We call this condition Diabetic Dyslipidemia . When these two factors come together, the risk of developing heart disease and arterial disease increases significantly.

Cholesterol and High Blood Pressure

High cholesterol and high blood pressure (Hypertension) are like two sides of the same coin. High cholesterol causes inflammation inside the blood vessels, which can cause them to become stiff. This is called endothelial dysfunction . When blood vessels become stiff, your heart has to work harder to pump blood through them. This causes your blood pressure to rise. High blood pressure is another major risk factor for heart disease.

5 simple steps to lower cholesterol

Don't be afraid to say all this. The best part is that we can control our cholesterol levels and reduce all these risks by making some simple changes to our lifestyle.

• Consult your doctor: Your doctor can help you develop a diet and exercise plan that is right for you based on your cholesterol levels.

• Change your diet: Reduce your intake of oily, fried foods, fast foods, and sugary drinks and foods. Instead, include oats, walnuts, fish like tuna, salmon, sardines, soy products (tofu), vegetables, and fruits in your diet.

• Avoid smoking completely: Smoking lowers the levels of "good" cholesterol (HDL) in our body. The benefits to your heart of quitting smoking are priceless.

• Exercise: Even something as simple as a 30-minute brisk walk a day can go a long way in helping you manage your weight, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Exercise lowers triglyceride levels and increases HDL levels.

• Use your medications as directed: Your doctor has prescribed medication to lower your cholesterol. The most common type of medication, called a statin, can cause side effects in some people. If this is the case for you, talk to your doctor about it. He or she may recommend a different medication, such as `Nexletol (bempedoic acid)` or `Nexlizet (bempedoic acid and ezetimibe)`. Never stop taking your medication or change the dosage without your doctor's advice. If you have any concerns, discuss them with your doctor.

Cholesterol, High Cholesterol, Heart Disease, Stroke, Diabetes, High Blood Pressure