The 'accumulation' of high cholesterol on your face can have 'serious consequences', cardiologist Oleg Varfolomeev warns in an interview with Medikforum .
High cholesterol means there is too much of a waxy substance called cholesterol in the blood. Cholesterol is essential for building healthy cells, but an excess of a certain type—LDL cholesterol—can be life-threatening. Cardiovascular disease is the most serious threat, but not the only one.
Some of these complications are the first warning signs of high cholesterol. That's what makes it so detrimental – cholesterol usually doesn't show up until it causes harm.
“One clear sign of damage from high cholesterol levels can show up on your face. Hollenhorst plaque is a serious complication that can lead to permanent vision loss. This happens when small pieces of plaque, formed as a result of high cholesterol levels, break away from the walls of blood vessels, rise to the vessels of the eye and get stuck there, blocking the blood flow in one or more of the blood vessels in your eye.
“This can lead to potentially serious consequences for your vision, including loss of vision and even blindness,” says cardiologist Oleg Varfolomeev.
High cholesterol: a warning sign on your face that your levels are high
There is also an increased risk of developing several vision-threatening eye diseases, including:
- Macular degeneration
- Glaucoma
- Myopia.
High cholesterol: a 'destructive' sign on your face maybe be irreversible
Improving your diet and exercising regularly can deal a decisive blow to high cholesterol.
“To lower your cholesterol, try to reduce your intake of fatty foods, especially foods that contain a type of fat called saturated fat.”
Earlier, Medikforum wrote about what to replace red fish.