High cholesterol can pose serious health risks. Early detection and lowering of high cholesterol are crucial to reducing your risk of cardiovascular diseases in the future. Get tested!
Having high cholesterol can pose serious risks to your health. And high cholesterol is quite common—not only is the average cholesterol level too high, but 13% of Dutch people under the age of 40 even have a very high cholesterol level. Among men and women between 60 and 70 years old, this percentage is even higher, at 40 to 50%!
Cholesterol is a fat-like substance that plays an important role in almost every cell in your body. But do we really need the cholesterol in our blood? Experts are still debating this. Almost all the cells in our body can produce their own cholesterol when needed.
Your testicles, adrenal glands, or ovaries create their own cholesterol to produce testosterone. This means they do not need the cholesterol circulating in your blood.
Whether your cholesterol is high or low, you usually won’t notice any symptoms. The only way to get insight into your cholesterol levels is through a blood test. Research on what constitutes healthy cholesterol levels is ongoing, and what was considered healthy 20 years ago may not be the same today.
One thing experts agree on: lower levels of certain cholesterol markers reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. For example, an LDL cholesterol level of 2.0 mmol/L is better than 2.5 but not as ideal as 1.5 mmol/L.
Which cholesterol values are most important?
Unhealthy cholesterol (mainly LDL cholesterol) can accumulate in the walls of your arteries as it travels through the bloodstream. This causes the arteries to narrow and can eventually lead to blockages—a process known as atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is a slow process that typically takes decades to develop. It can start as early as birth, and the first signs are often detectable in teenagers and young adults.If atherosclerosis becomes severe, it can cause a major blockage, restricting blood flow or leading to blood clot formation. In some cases, a cholesterol plaque or clot can break loose and cause complications elsewhere in the body. These blockages are often the cause of heart attacks.
Early detection of high cholesterol and lowering it is crucial in preventing cardiovascular diseases later in life. The longer you are exposed to high levels of unhealthy cholesterol, the faster atherosclerosis progresses.Many people don’t realize they have high cholesterol until they experience serious consequences, such as a heart attack or stroke. There are no clear symptoms to warn you in advance that your cholesterol is too high.
As a physician, I specialize in healthy aging and how to achieve it. By prescribing blood tests, I measure key health indicators that provide insight into your overall well-being. You can have these blood tests done at a laboratory near you. Once your comprehensive blood test is completed, I will discuss the results, provide advice, and outline possible treatment options during a telephone consultation.
Get in touch with me and get tested.
Would you like to know more about cholesterol and what you can do about it? Click here to read the full article on cholesterol.
