High Cholesterol
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Excellence Medical Centers, LLC
Family Medicine Physician located in Cape Coral, FL
More than 35 million Americans have cholesterol levels elevated enough to put them at high risk of heart disease and stroke. At Excellence Medical Centers, LLC in Cape Coral, Florida, Christine Mackie, MD, provides expert diagnosis for high cholesterol. She aims to improve your health and reduce your risk of dangerous complications. Call Excellence Medical Centers, LLC today or make an appointment online today for personalized medical care for high cholesterol.
High Cholesterol Q & A
What is high cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a waxy substance made in your liver that’s critical to cell generation. Your body makes all of the cholesterol it needs, but it’s also found in many of the foods you eat, including meat, poultry, and dairy products.
Your body makes many types of cholesterol, including high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL). LDL travels through your bloodstream, leaving deposits where your body needs it. HDL also travels through your blood, collecting any unused LDL.
Triglycerides are another type of fat that travels through your blood. It can also accumulate and increase your risk of cardiovascular disease.
High cholesterol develops when you have too much LDL or not enough HDL, leading to high cholesterol levels remaining in your blood vessels. High cholesterol contributes to atherosclerosis, hypertension, heart disease, and stroke.
What are the signs of high cholesterol?
High cholesterol doesn’t cause any symptoms. Often the first indication of high cholesterol occurs when you have bloodwork for a routine physical exam or when you have a heart attack.
While high cholesterol doesn’t cause noticeable symptoms, it can lead to dangerous complications. As cholesterol accumulates in your blood vessels, it reduces circulation and leads to chest pain, coronary artery disease, heart attack, and stroke.
What causes high cholesterol?
Many of your lifestyle choices contribute to your risk, including:
- A high-fat diet
- Obesity
- Lack of physical activity
- Smoking
- Diabetes
Your risk also increases with age, and you might be genetically inclined to develop high cholesterol.
How is high cholesterol treated?
If Dr. Mackie diagnoses you with high cholesterol, she explains your condition and the available treatment options. She might recommend adjusting your diet, getting more exercise, and losing weight if your cholesterol levels are only starting to creep up.
However, if your cholesterol levels are high, Dr. Mackie might prescribe medication in addition to your lifestyle changes. For example, she might suggest statins, bile-acid-binding resins, or cholesterol absorption inhibitors to control how your body produces and uses cholesterol.
Call Excellence Medical Centers, LLC or make an appointment online today if you’re due for a physical and blood tests or need expert treatment for high cholesterol.
