What happens to your body when you have high cholesterol?

What happens to your body when you have high cholesterol?

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. Sometimes, those deposits can break suddenly and form a clot that causes a heart attack or stroke.

How can you tell if you have high cholesterol without a blood test?

You can’t tell if you have high cholesterol without having it checked. A simple blood test will reveal your cholesterol level. Men 35 years of age and older and women 45 years of age and older should have their cholesterol checked.

How quickly can you lower cholesterol?

Cholesterol drops over time, not suddenly, after a few days of healthier living. There is no set period in which cholesterol is guaranteed to drop. Cholesterol-lowering drugs usually produce a change in LDL within 6 to 8 weeks. It is possible for lifestyle changes to change cholesterol levels within weeks.

How long does it take for cholesterol to go down?

Are there any physical signs of high cholesterol?

High cholesterol rarely presents with visible signs and symptoms. There are rare cases in which there may be physical signs, such as around the eyes and/or over the tendons, but this occurs for the minority of people.

What can cause high cholesterol levels?

The most common cause of elevated serum cholesterol is eating foods that are rich in saturated fats or contain high levels of cholesterol. Elevated cholesterol also can be caused by an underlying disease that raises blood cholesterol levels such as diabetes mellitus, kidney disease, liver disease, or hypothyroidism.

What foods are the worst for cholesterol?

Some of the worst foods for high cholesterol include cheeseburger and French fries. A typical or average size cheeseburger has cholesterol of over 150, which is 50% of the maximum daily cholesterol limit.

What are the dangers of high cholesterol?

Regardless of the cause, high cholesterol poses dangers. It plays a major role in the development of atherosclerosis , or hardening and narrowing of the arteries, which in turn raises the risk of heart attack and stroke.