{"id":33513,"date":"2021-06-09T09:30:35","date_gmt":"2021-06-09T13:30:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=33513"},"modified":"2025-11-29T19:04:21","modified_gmt":"2025-11-30T00:04:21","slug":"effects-of-high-cholesterol","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/effects-of-high-cholesterol\/","title":{"rendered":"Why you should monitor your cholesterol"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When you think of cholesterol, it might bring images of heart disease, fast food, and saturated fats to mind. But cholesterol is actually necessary for your health\u2014for your metabolism, and for hormone and cell production. When there\u2019s too much of it, however, it can become concerning.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;High cholesterol, also known as hypercholesterolemia, is the presence of excess cholesterol in the blood,&#8221; explains <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lola Adeyemi<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, MD, a preventive and public health physician and the co-founder &amp; COO of Magna Carta Health. Four levels make up your <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">cholesterol numbers<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (or &#8220;lipid panel,\u201d as it will appear on your bloodwork).\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Low-density lipoprotein (LDL)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is the &#8220;bad&#8221; cholesterol that can lead to buildup in your arteries. Less than 100 mg\/dL is ideal. 160\u2013189 mg\/dL is considered high.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>High-density lipoprotein (HDL)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is &#8220;good&#8221; cholesterol and high numbers can actually protect against heart diseases. You want this at 60 mg\/dL or more. Levels less than 40 mg\/dL put you at higher risk for heart disease.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/high-triglycerides-treatment-options\/\"><b>Triglycerides<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are the type of fat your body uses for energy, but too much increases your risk of health issues. Less than 150 mg\/dL is ideal. 200 mg\/dL or more is considered high.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Total cholesterol<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is the combination of LDL, HDL, and triglycerides. Ideally this number should be less than 200 mg\/dL. A level of 240 mg\/dL or more is considered high. The absolute total cholesterol number is not as important as the individual good and bad cholesterol numbers.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"what-causes-high-cholesterol\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What causes high cholesterol?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Several things can <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.heart.org\/en\/health-topics\/cholesterol\/causes-of-high-cholesterol\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">cause high cholesterol<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> including:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eating a diet high in saturated and trans fats<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Leading a sedentary lifestyle<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Smoking tobacco (or exposure to tobacco smoke)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being overweight or obese<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Having a relative with high cholesterol can also increase your risk of having high cholesterol. Known as familial hypercholesterolemia, this is a genetic condition that changes how your body processes cholesterol.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/conditions\/high-cholesterol-treatment-and-medications\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">High cholesterol<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> doesn&#8217;t cause high blood pressure or diabetes. However, these two conditions do put you at an increased risk for heart disease and stroke, says <a href=\"https:\/\/www.drloladeadeyemi.com\/\">Dr. Adeyemi<\/a>. Heart disease and stroke are also caused by high cholesterol.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"how-do-you-know-if-you-have-high-cholesterol\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How do you know if you have high cholesterol?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The problem with high cholesterol is that it\u2019s a silent condition. Meaning, you won&#8217;t feel any different as your levels spike. There aren&#8217;t really any symptoms until you have a heart attack or stroke, according<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/grainfoodsfoundation.org\/experts\/glenn-gaesser-phd\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Glenn Gaesser<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, Ph.D., professor of exercise physiology at the College of Health Solutions at Arizona State University. The only way to know if you have high cholesterol problems is by taking a blood test, usually during your annual physical.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\t\t<div class=\"singlecare-dynamic-newsletter-wrapper sin-newsletter-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"heading\">Get our heart health newsletter<\/span>\n\t\t\t<form class=\"form-wrapper\" data-newsletter-form=\"1\" data-subsource=\"Heart Health Newsletter\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"input-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<label for=\"dynamic-email\">Email<\/label>\n\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"email\" id=\"dynamic-email\" class=\"email\" required>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"input-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<input class=\"submit-form-btn\" type=\"submit\" value=\"Click to sign up\">\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/form>\n\t\t\t<p class=\"success-message\" aria-live=\"polite\"><\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"4-effects-of-high-cholesterol\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4 effects of high cholesterol<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are several ways high cholesterol can affect your body. About 75% of the cholesterol you need is made by the liver and the other 25% is from the food you eat. Too much in your system\u2014particularly LDL\u2014can form fatty deposits, or plaques, in your blood vessels, explains Dr. Adeyemi. This is known as atherosclerosis. Complications of high cholesterol include:<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"1-stroke\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1. Stroke<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A stroke occurs when the blood flow to your brain <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.stroke.org\/en\/about-stroke\/types-of-stroke\/ischemic-stroke-clots\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">becomes blocked<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, causing brain cells to die. This blockage may be a result of a growing plaque inside an artery of the neck or brain, or may come from pieces of plaque breaking off and traveling through the blood vessels to the brain. You can be at risk for stroke if you have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, or if you smoke. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/signs-of-a-stroke\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Symptoms of a stroke<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> depend on the type, but commonly include facial drooping on one side, slurred speech, confusion, severe headache, and dizziness. Treatment can include medications to help break up the blockage, or surgery to remove the clot.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"2-heart-attack\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2. Heart attack<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Atherosclerosis can cause a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/cardiac-arrest-vs-heart-attack\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">heart attack<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> when plaque buildup cuts off blood supply to the heart. Heart cells start to die and can cause chest tightness or pain, nausea, jaw pain, dizziness, and shortness of breath. You are at increased risk for heart attack if you have high cholesterol, high triglycerides, diabetes, or high blood pressure or if you smoke tobacco products. Treatment most often involves a cardiac catheterization (heart cath) with balloon angioplasty or stent placement, but may also involve open heart surgery with bypass of the blocked vessel. If the heart attack causes enough damage to the heart muscle, a pacemaker or defibrillator may be necessary.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"3-peripheral-vascular-disease\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3. Peripheral vascular disease<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Peripheral vascular disease (PVD) is when blood vessels outside of your brain or heart become blocked or narrowed. Symptoms can include pain or weakness in your legs that goes away once you&#8217;ve rested. You have a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhlbi.nih.gov\/health-topics\/peripheral-artery-disease\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">higher risk of PVD<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> if you have a family history of PVD or high cholesterol, are overweight, have a heart condition, or are over 65. Treatment can include medications or surgery.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"4-kidney-disease\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4. Kidney disease<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">High total cholesterol or a lower HDL can put you at <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kidney.org\/news\/kidneyCare\/Summer10\/HighCholesterol\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">increased risk<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for kidney disease. This is usually a silent disease; however, when kidney disease becomes severe, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kidney.org\/news\/ekidney\/august14\/10_Signs_You_May_Have_Kidney_Disease\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">symptoms may include<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> blood or foam in the urine, swelling in your feet and ankles, or muscle cramps. Depending on how severe the condition is, you might need dialysis or a kidney transplant.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"how-can-you-lower-cholesterol-levels\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How can you lower cholesterol levels?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Luckily, there are some things you can do to lower your health risks of high cholesterol.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Diet changes:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> There&#8217;s more to cholesterol than what&#8217;s in your food. &#8220;Components of a healthy diet, especially fiber, can have modest effects on cholesterol levels,&#8221; explains Dr. Gaesser. &#8220;Fiber such as oatmeal or bran reduces the absorption of cholesterol into the bloodstream and can reduce LDL levels.&#8221;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Exercise:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> While it won&#8217;t really make big improvements to your total cholesterol, according to Dr. Gaesser, it can help raise your HDL and lower your LDL.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Lose weight:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Even a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.heart.org\/en\/health-topics\/cholesterol\/prevention-and-treatment-of-high-cholesterol-hyperlipidemia\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">5% to 10%<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> weight loss can have positive effects on high cholesterol.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Consider quitting smoking:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Quitting smoking can raise your HDL and decrease the risk for other heart conditions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Statin medications: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes diet and exercise aren&#8217;t enough to make the necessary changes. In that case, medications called <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/drug-classes\/statins\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">statins<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> help decrease your cholesterol as well as lower your chances of having a heart attack or stroke.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>RELATED: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/how-to-lower-cholesterol\/\"><b>How to lower cholesterol<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The takeaway: &#8220;Use of statins will not work effectively if your lifestyle is poor,\u201d Dr. Adeyemi cautions. Statins and lifestyle changes often need to be done together to have the best results.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When you think of cholesterol, it might bring images of heart disease, fast food, and saturated fats to mind. But cholesterol is actually necessary for your health\u2014for your metabolism, and for hormone and cell production. When there\u2019s too much of it, however, it can become concerning. &#8220;High cholesterol, also known as hypercholesterolemia, is the presence [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":94,"featured_media":32386,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8029],"tags":[737,8905],"coauthors":[20620],"class_list":["post-33513","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health-education","tag-heart-health","tag-seasonal","wpautop"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.4 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>4 effects of high cholesterol<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A total cholesterol level of 240 mg\/dL or more is considered high. The effects of high cholesterol can be life-threatening. 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