High cholesterol is usually not accompanied by any symptoms. You can only detect it through a blood test. People rarely think about it until complications such as a heart attack or stroke occur. Most of us tend to think that these serious complications and developments only happen to the elderly, while people under the age of 55 can be affected. There may be a connection between these myths and the aggravation of the problem. Learn more facts…

What is high cholesterol?

The level of cholesterol in the blood increases when you follow an unhealthy lifestyle, for example, eating a lot of fatty foods, not exercising enough, being overweight, smoking and drinking alcohol. You should be careful because too high cholesterol can cause blood vessels to clog, making you more likely to have heart disease or stroke.

Is all cholesterol harmful to health?

Actually, the body needs good cholesterol (HDL) to perform various functions such as making hormones and building cells. Unlike bad cholesterol, it can build up on the walls of blood vessels. As plaque builds up in the blood vessels, the blood vessels narrow. This narrowing can restrict blood flow to and from your heart and other organs and may also block blood flow to the heart, causing angina or a heart attack.

Can cholesterol levels really not be changed?!

You can make many changes to lower your levels and keep them in a healthy range, such as:

• Have a check-up every 5 years at least, unless your doctor tells you something different.
• Reduce foods rich in saturated fats and choose foods that are naturally high in fiber and unsaturated fats.
• Stay active every day and do sports. There are recommendations for 150 to 300 minutes of moderate physical activity each week.
• Losing excess weight and maintaining a healthy weight. Some simple changes may help, such as drinking water instead of sugary drinks.
• Stop smoking. Because smoking accelerates the hardening of the arteries and greatly increases the risk of heart disease. The good news is that quitting smoking will reduce your risk of heart disease. Consulting a doctor can help you quit.

Sometimes making healthy lifestyle changes is not enough to lower cholesterol levels. So, at that time, the doctor may recommend medications. Getting a free medical consultation may also help.