Many people know about the term 'high cholesterol', but they don't know what it actually means. High cholesterol is basically what happens when fatty substances build up in the blood.
The best foods to lower cholesterol
According to the British National Health Service (NHS), the main cause is excessive consumption of fatty foods, insufficient exercise, being overweight, smoking and drinking alcohol. The only problem is that there are not many symptoms, so many are 'completely unaware' that they have a problem with cholesterol, warns the British Health Safety Agency.
If you don't know you have high cholesterol, you are at risk of heart attack or stroke. In order to check if you have it, you need to do laboratory tests, and there are some other things to pay attention to.
People with these characteristics are at greater risk of high cholesterol:
- You are 40 or older
- You are overweight
- High cholesterol or heart problems run in your family
Cholesterol can lead to peripheral artery disease (PAD), a condition that develops when fatty deposits build up inside the arteries and are usually concentrated in the feet, the Daily Star reports.
Symptoms of peripheral artery disease:
- Bowl
- Ulcers
- Gangrene
- Loss of hair on the legs and feet
- Numbness or weakness in the legs
- Brittle, slow-growing toenails
- Ulcers (open sores) on the feet and legs, which do not heal
- Discoloration of the skin on the legs
- Shiny skin
- In men, erectile dysfunction
What to do to prevent high cholesterol:
- Reduce your intake of fatty foods such as meat pies, butter and cakes
- Eat more foods with unsaturated fats, such as salmon, whole grain breads, fruits and vegetables
- Exercise at least two and a half hours a week
- Stop smoking
- Cut down on alcohol
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