High cholesterol may stem from certain medications, medical conditions, or eating habits, but you may not realize it affects you because of your lack of symptoms. At Advanced Heart Care Associates, which has a location in Henderson, Nevada, and two locations in Las Vegas, Nevada, board-certified cardiologists offer cholesterol testing and can help you lower your cholesterol with personalized recommendations. To book an appointment, call either office or schedule one online today.
If you have high cholesterol, it means you have too many lipids in your blood. Lipids are waxy, fatty substances that come from your liver. Proteins called lipoproteins carry lipids through the bloodstream because these lipids serve the purpose of forming cell membranes and helping your body produce various hormones.
There are two types of lipoprotein: high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL). If you have high cholesterol, it means you have too much LDL in your blood. HDL is considered the “good” lipoprotein because it collects extra cholesterol and brings it back to your liver.
LDL transports cholesterol away from the liver and throughout the body, and that cholesterol can build up along the walls of your blood vessels to make them narrower, a condition known as atherosclerosis.
Any condition that causes your arteries to get narrower is bad for your cardiovascular system. While certain medical conditions, like diabetes, can cause high cholesterol, unmanaged high cholesterol also causes its own complications.
High cholesterol usually doesn’t cause symptoms so you should get cholesterol tests if your physician recommends them. By detecting and treating high cholesterol, you can lower your risk for complications like:
High cholesterol affects individuals of all ages. Advanced Heart Care Associates helps you review your risks and decide when a cholesterol test is necessary. Your risk is especially high if you smoke tobacco, avoid exercise, or experience weight challenges.
Advanced Heart Care Associates develops a treatment plan for your high cholesterol and any existing complications from it. One of the simplest ways of lowering your cholesterol is by adjusting your diet to be more nutritious. That means limiting saturated fats, trans fats, fried foods, and sugar while consuming more lean protein and fibrous fruits and veggies.
There are also high cholesterol medications available by prescription. Your provider at Advanced Heart Care Associates can prescribe these medications and advise you on how to use them. The most common type of medication prescribed for high cholesterol is called a statin, and it stops your liver’s production of cholesterol.
If you develop coronary artery disease due to high cholesterol, Advanced Heart Care Associates provides the necessary treatments to improve blood flow.
Schedule your appointment at Advanced Heart Care Associates by calling the office or booking one online today.