It is known that high cholesterol is dangerous. Cholesterol deposits in the walls of blood vessels narrow their lumen, which sooner or later leads to blockage of the arteries.
The narrowing of the lumen of the artery leads to a violation of the delivery of oxygen to a particular organ. If this heart – a heart attack develops, if the brain – a stroke, if the arteries of the lower extremities, then the person is faced with pain in the legs.
How to understand that you have high cholesterol?
Symptoms to watch out for are:
- acute pain in the chest, in the legs,
- shortness of breath,
- sudden weakness,
- impaired speech or balance.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported signs of high cholesterol in the buttocks. We are talking about pain, aches or cramps in the buttocks when walking. All this points to high cholesterol levels, as well as peripheral arterial disease (PAD).
6 out of 10 people with peripheral artery disease complain of pain in the legs, which can be aggravated by an ache in the thigh or calf, British doctors say . These symptoms usually disappear with rest.
Other signs of high cholesterol:
- Pain in the legs when running or even walking;
- Yellow spots and subcutaneous deposits (xanthoma, xanthelasma);
- Pain in the heart during physical/emotional stress.
What level of cholesterol is considered dangerous?
It is believed that normal cholesterol levels for people at low risk should be below 5 mmol/l, and for people at high risk – 4 mmol/l.
High cholesterol is when there is too much of a substance called LDL (low density lipoprotein) cholesterol in the blood. It is often referred to as “bad” cholesterol because it can clog arteries, greatly increasing the risk of atherosclerosis and heart disease.
There is also “good cholesterol” – high-density lipoproteins (HDL). They just remove cholesterol from the vascular wall and thereby clean the arteries. A high concentration of HDL reduces the risk of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease.
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