Are There Signs and Symptoms of High Cholesterol?
High Cholesterol Signs and Symptoms: Plaque Buildup
High
cholesterol levels in the blood do not cause problems over a short time. It usually takes many years for high levels to cause problems.
If your
cholesterol level is too high, low density lipoproteins (
LDLs) will leave extra cholesterol in the blood. If the high density lipoproteins (
HDLs) cannot pick up all of this cholesterol, it will build up on your artery walls, along with other fats and debris. This buildup is known as
plaque.
Over time, plaque can narrow the blood vessels; sometimes, this buildup may even block your blood vessels completely. Plaque buildup on your blood vessel walls is called
atherosclerosis.
It is not known why such a buildup occurs, but a narrowed or blocked blood vessel can prevent blood from getting to where it needs to go. Without blood, tissues will die.
If the blocked vessel is in your brain, it can cause a
stroke. Blockages can also occur in the blood vessels (called the coronary arteries) that carry blood to the heart muscle. This blockage process is called coronary
heart disease, and it can result in a heart attack.
Atherosclerosis can affect all of your organ systems; however, the organ most seriously affected by both high cholesterol and atherosclerosis is the heart.
According to the findings of recent studies, the progress of atherosclerosis may be stopped by
lowering cholesterol. In some cases, it may even be reversed.
