Why should I worry about high cholesterol?
Your body produces cholesterol to make hormones, support veins and arteries, and other basic biological processes. Cholesterol also comes from your diet. Some cholesterol is good and helps get rid of harmful cholesterol. This is known as high-density lipoprotein (HDL).
When you hear the term “high cholesterol,” it’s the bad cholesterol — low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and triglycerides — that your doctor is worried about. Having high cholesterol has been shown to increase your risk of:
- Coronary artery disease
- Atherosclerosis
- Heart disease
- Heart attack
- Stroke
Because high cholesterol can lead to conditions that can be life-threatening, managing your cholesterol and improving your numbers are critical.
What are the symptoms of high cholesterol?
The major issue with high cholesterol is that it has no symptoms until it’s too late, like if you suffer from a heart attack. You might be unaware that your cholesterol is high until you have a lipid panel blood test. Cholesterol is considered high if your:
- Total cholesterol is above 200 mg/dL
- Triglycerides are more than 150 mg/dL
- LDL cholesterol is greater than 100 mg/dL
- LDL cholesterol is over 70 mg/dL if you have heart disease or diabetes
Because HDL plays such a vital role in your heart health and overall cholesterol levels, it’s also important to have an HDL reading above 60 mg/dL. The team at Pinnacle Health Group performs comprehensive cholesterol screenings right in the office, so you can get results and any essential treatments quickly.
How is high cholesterol treated?
Treating high cholesterol depends on how high your cholesterol may be and whether you have other chronic diseases, like diabetes. Your cholesterol treatment plan from Pinnacle Health Group is likely going to include a combination of the following therapies:
- Exercise planning
- Dietary counseling
- Weight loss management
- Smoking cessation products
- Cholesterol absorption inhibitor drugs
- Medications to remove cholesterol from your blood, like statins or bile acid-binding resins
Your Pinnacle Health Group provider has you check in regularly, usually about every 3-6 months, to ensure your cholesterol treatment plan is working. They can adjust your treatment as needed at any time.
Because high cholesterol can lead to serious complications, get started on treatment at Pinnacle Health Group right away. Book your high cholesterol evaluation online or call the office directly.
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