Is high cholesterol proven to cause heart disease?
The main risk associated with high cholesterol is coronary heart disease (CHD). Your blood cholesterol level has a lot to do with your chances of getting heart disease. If your cholesterol is too high, it builds up on the walls of your arteries. Over time, this buildup is known as atherosclerosis.
What is the truth about cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a natural component in everyone’s blood, and supports functions within the body. It’s only when bad cholesterol causes plaque to build up in your arteries that it’s considered a major risk factor for heart attack, heart disease and stroke.
Can you have high cholesterol even if you eat healthy?
While a diet high in saturated and trans fat can increase your total cholesterol level and cause high LDL and triglyceride numbers, this isn’t always the whole picture when it comes to cholesterol levels: high blood cholesterol can make an unwelcome appearance even if you’re very careful about eating a healthy.
Is high cholesterol a disease?
High cholesterol has no symptoms, so many people don’t know that their cholesterol is too high. A simple blood test can check cholesterol levels. Having high blood cholesterol raises the risk for heart disease, the leading cause of death, and for stroke, the fifth leading cause of death.
Do people with high cholesterol live longer than people with low cholesterol?
The latest study, published in the health journal BMJ Open, examined 19 other studies involving a total of 68,094 people to find out the effect of high LDL cholesterol levels on older people. In almost 80\% of elderly people studied, those with higher levels of LDL cholesterol lived longer than those with lower levels.
Can you reverse high cholesterol damage?
Completely reversing it isn’t possible yet. But taking a statin can reduce the risk of complications from atherosclerosis. It fights inflammation, which stabilizes the plaque. For this reason, statins are often key to treating atherosclerosis.