WHAT ARE THE CHOLESTEROL SYMPTOMS ?

High cholesterol doesn't make you feel sick.
But if cholesterol builds up in your arteries, it can block blood flow to your heart or brain and cause a heart attack or stroke.
In some people, cholesterol deposits called xanthomas may form under the skin.
They look like small bumps.

HOW IS HIGH CHOLESTEROL DIAGNOSED ?

Your doctor will use a blood test to check your cholesterol.
A lipoprotein analysis is the most complete test.

It measures your total cholesterol:

- HDL
- LDL
- Triglycerides

You cannot have food for 12 hours before this test.
A simple cholesterol test can measure your total cholesterol and HDL.
You can eat before this test.
Sometimes doctors do this test first and then order a lipoprotein analysis if you have high cholesterol or low HDL.


HOW IS IT TREATED ?

You and your doctor may decide first to treat your high cholesterol without medicine.
Changes to your lifestyle and diet may be all you need.
These changes include eating foods low in saturated fat, being more active, losing weight if you need to, and quitting smoking if needed.
If you cannot lower your cholesterol enough after trying lifestyle changes for a few months, you may need to take a medicine called a statin.

If you have :

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
DIABETES
CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE (CAD)

The doctor may want you to take a statin right away.
This is because your chance of having a heart attack is higher.
Research shows that people who have a high risk for heart attack could benefit from taking higher doses of statins to lower their LDL cholesterol as much as possible.
The more these people can lower their LDL, the less likely they are to have a heart attack.

THINGS THAT INCREASE YOUR RISK FOR HEART ATTACK

1. Having high blood pressure
2. Smoking.
3. Having low HDL (good) cholesterol.
4. Having peripheral arterial disease
5. Having diabetes
6. Having a family history of heart disease.
7. Being age > 45 if you are a man, and age > 55 if you are a woman.