Do you eat chocolate? I avoid commercial milk chocolate with its milk, sugar, cocoa butter, and small volumes of cacao. My preferred chocolate form, dark chocolate, has much more cacao and less sugar than its milk chocolate counterpart.

Let’s explore some of the potential cardiovascular upsides of consuming dark chocolate. We’ll look at some nutritional information and how much dark chocolate you should eat (and no, the answer is not all of it).

Chocolate and blood pressure

Regular consumption of dark chocolate may lower your chances of suffering from cardiovascular disease. For example, regularly eating dark chocolate can lower your blood pressure.

How does dark chocolate work its magic to lower blood pressure? Dark chocolate contains flavonoids, a substance that can stimulate nitric oxide production in your body.

The upside of this nitric oxide production? Nitric oxide results in widening blood vessels, which translates to better blood flow and lower blood pressure.

Here are the results of a small study from Iran looking at the effects of eating dark chocolate on 60 subjects with high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.

Those who consumed 25 grams of dark chocolate daily for eight weeks had significantly lower blood pressure than individuals who ate the same amount of white chocolate.

Chocolate and cholesterol

“Your hand and your mouth agreed many years ago that, as far as chocolate is concerned, there is no need to involve your brain.”
― Dave Barry

Other compounds in dark chocolate target cholesterol; polyphenols and theobromine can lower “bad” low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels and increase “good” high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol.

Here’s some evidence: A 2017 clinical trial discovered that adding almonds, cocoa, and dark chocolate to the usual American diet (taking care not to exceed recommended daily calorie totals) improves lipid profiles.

The study authors volunteer that putting almonds, dark chocolate, and cocoa into your diet (without exceeding energy needs) may drop your heart disease risk. Together, almonds and dark chocolate lowered the number of small LDL particles.

Thank you for joining me today.

The post Three Heart Benefits of Dark Chocolate appeared first on Medika Life.

Moreover, a 2021 study found that four out of ten adults between the ages of 50 and 64 without a heart-disease diagnosis still had early signs of atherosclerosis (colloquially known as hardening of the arteries) that put them at a greater risk of experiencing a heart attack.

More specifically, atherosclerosis is a disease in which plaque builds up inside your arteries. Plaque is composed of cholesterol, fat, calcium, and other substances. Over time, plaque hardens and narrows your arteries, limiting oxygen-containing blood to your tissues and organs.

Atherosclerosis can be associated with severe problems, including heart attack, stroke, or death. With this high risk of heart disease or stroke in mind, I want to give you three ways you can improve your cardiovascular health.

We don’t fully understand why atherosclerosis occurs, but one theory is that the inner wall of an artery is damaged. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking cigarettes, and diabetes can cause injury. Other contributants can be lack of exercise and a diet high in saturated fat.

Here is what atherosclerosis looks like in a significant blood vessel:

Fortunately, there are some lifestyle maneuvers you can pursue to support your heart health. Let’s look at the top three ways to improve your heart health:

#1. Move

Even if you are not a big fan of vigorous exercise, it does not take much to improve your cardiovascular health. Start with a walk:Does Walking Extend Life?ARE YOU ONLY TO GET in a 15-minute walk as your physical activity of the day? My patients often ask whether walking…medium.com

Strength training and aerobic-style physical activity are also excellent approaches. Find a physical activity you enjoy and be consistent in doing it. Regular walking is a central pillar of my physical activity routine.

#2. Relax

The mind-calming practice of meditation may play a role in reducing your risk of heart disease, according to a scientific statement published in 2017 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Experts reviewed dozens of studies published over the past two decades and discovered that meditation might improve a host of factors linked with heart disease — making it worth including in an overall program for ongoing heart care.

Take a seat

There are many different styles and approaches to meditation, but here is a straightforward routine:

1. Sit quietly and close your eyes. Breathe slowly.
2. Relax all of your muscles, beginning with your feet, legs, and thighs.
3. Shrug your shoulders and roll your neck to the left and then right.
4. On each exhalation, say “peace” out loud or to yourself.
5. Please don’t get discouraged when your thoughts wander (and they will). Go back to repeating the pattern.
6. Continue for five to 10 minutes.

#3. Eat well

Diet plays a significant role in heart health and can impact our risk of heart disease. Here are some heart-healthy foods, according to Healthline.com:15 Incredibly Heart-Healthy FoodsHeart disease accounts for nearly one-third of all deaths worldwide (). Diet plays a major role in heart health and can…www.healthline.com

My take

I take things in small chunks, preferring to focus on simple, achievable goals that I can take on each day. I hope that these three tips help you to advance your cardiovascular health.

Thank you for joining me today.

The post 3 Ways to Improve Your Heart appeared first on Medika Life.

• A. Habitual coffee drinking increases your risk of atrial fibrillation, a condition marked by an irregular and often very rapid heart rhythm (arrhythmia) that can lead to blood clots in the heart, stroke, heart failure, and more.
• B. All coffee types have been associated with improved cholesterol, including lower “bad” LDL and increased “good” HDL cholesterol.
• C. Middle-age coffee drinking improves heart volumes and is associated with improvements in risk of death from cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack and stroke.

If you guessed “C,” it’s a bingo! Today we look at a few recent studies examining the health effects of coffee consumption.

We start with the encouraging findings of a recent study. Presenting at the virtual European Society of Cardiology Congress 2021, Dr. Judit Simon offered this observation: Drinking as many as three cups of coffee daily appeared associated with a one-fifth (21 percent) lower stroke risk.

In addition, middle-aged coffee consumers had a one-sixth (17 percent) drop in cardiovascular disease mortality and a 12 percent reduction in the risk of death from all causes. Finally, the coffee drinkers had more favorable heart imaging (magnetic resonance imaging or MRI) findings.

These reductions are compared with non-drinkers (that is, consumers of less than half a cup of coffee per day). Researchers followed half of the subjects for more than 11 years.

For the participants who had heart MRI imaging, coffee consumption appeared associated with significant increases in heart mass (in an area known as the left ventricle). The clinical significance of such findings is unclear.

“It is inhumane, in my opinion, to force people who have a genuine medical need for coffee to wait in line behind people who view it as some kind of recreational activity.”
― Dave Barry

Coffee and heart rhythm problems

The short answer is no: In general, coffee does not heighten your risk for heart arrhythmias. Scientists examined 300,000 individuals and recently reported their findings.

Coffee lowered the risk of experiencing an incident of arrhythmia after researchers adjusted for other lifestyle habits, health problems, and demographics. After an average follow-up of 4.5 years, habitual coffee drinking did not appear associated with a higher risk of cardiac rhythm problems.

There is a caveat: Transient and undiagnosed arrhythmias. Nevertheless, recent evidence suggests that coffee doesn’t increase the risk of persistent, diagnosed arrhythmias.

Moreover, coffee drinking does not appear to affect blood pressure significantly. Some studies suggest coffee may lower high blood pressure risk.

Coffee and cholesterol

Does coffee drinking improve cholesterol levels? It depends. A 2020 research study from the United Kingdom biobank showed that coffee type is important. For example, unfiltered express coffees (such as French press) result in higher levels of “bad” low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels. The standard ground of instant coffee does not appear to have this adverse effect.

The European Society of Cardiology Congress 2021 study did not identify an optimal coffee volume. It showed that, compared with not drinking coffee, drinking instant coffee appeared linked to a lower risk of early death (but not cardiovascular mortality or stroke).

Filtered coffee also lowered the risk of early death, but there was no improvement in the heart attack risk. Finally (this one applied to me), drinking decaffeinated coffee appeared associated with a lower probability of all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality.

Coffee — Takeaway messages

It is heartening that the extensive studies presented showed no signals pointing to harm from coffee consumption. Instead, low-to-moderate coffee intake in midlife is associated with cardiovascular benefits. Thank you for joining me today.

The post Coffee Good for Your Heart, But There is a Caveat appeared first on Medika Life.

You may have noticed “bumps” on your eyelids or around the eyes of others and wondered what on earth are those? They are called xanthelasmas. Xanthelasmas are soft, cholesterol-filled raised “bumps” that develop under the skin, on or around your eyelids, and close to your nose.

These yellow raised deposits are a side effect of having high levels of lipids in your blood. Xanthelasmas may not be harmful initially, but they can gradually worsen, cause pain, and detract from your good looks!

They may also signal a more serious underlying health problem.

We are bombarded with information on healthy eating and on maintaining a healthy lifestyle. We’ve heard about the impact of cholesterol on our hearts and the importance of keeping our cholesterol in check. 

Medical professionals constantly caution us against eating certain foods, and we are encouraged to consume the foods that will help to lower our cholesterol levels. 

What are xanthelasmas?

They are raised yellowish papules caused by the localized accumulation of lipid deposits commonly seen around the eyelids.

They occur in approximately 4% of the population. Xanthelasmas are prevalent in 1.1% in females and 0.3% in males. 

These eye deposits can begin to make their appearance between the ages of 15 and 73 years, although an increased appearance is usually seen during the fortieth and sixtieth years of life.

More than 50% of these cases are associated with underlying hyperlipidemia. These fatty deposits also gradually become larger over time and begin to cause discomfort.

If these cholesterol deposits present prior to the age of 40 years, it requires a prompt screening by your physician to rule out any acute underlying inherited disorders of lipoprotein metabolism.

The Role of Genetics

Genes are powerful, they play a major role in who, how, and why we function the way we do. Another huge component is nature versus nurture. We often inadvertently learn habits that are are not the best for the genes we inherited. Familial hypercholesterolemia is an inherited trait characterized by very high levels of cholesterol in the blood.

In the case of hypercholesterolemia, the foods we eat along with our genetic predisposition can wreak havoc on our physical bodies and our mind.

Cholesterol & Our Circulatory System

High cholesterol can predispose us to develop a form of heart disease called Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) at a young age.

Coronary Artery Disease develops when excess cholesterol is in the bloodstream and deposits in the walls of our blood vessels, particularly the arteries that supply blood to the heart (coronary arteries).

This buildup of cholesterol forms clumps (plaques) that narrow and harden the arterial walls. This, of course, presents issues when these vessels need to be pliable and malleable to allow blood and nutrients and the elimination of waste.

If the vessels harden a myriad of health issues will follow.

Causes of Xanthelasmas

Anyone may get cholesterol deposits around their eyes. But this condition is most common in people with a lipid disorder called dyslipidemia.

People with this disorder have too many lipids in their bloodstreams, such as triglycerides and certain forms of cholesterol.

You may have dyslipidemia if you have any of the following conditions:

• hypercholesterolemia, identified by total cholesterol greater than 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL)
• hypertriglyceridemia, identified by triglycerides above 150 mg/dL
• high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), also known as bad cholesterol, identified by LDL above 100 mg/dL
• high levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), also known as good cholesterol, identified by HDL above 40 mg/dL

There are various other factors that can cause you to have too many lipids in your bloodstream, and in turn, you can develop xanthelasma around your eyes. Some causes are genetic, meaning you cannot do much to prevent them. Other causes are the result of lifestyle choices or the side effects of some medications.

Genetic causes may include:

• deficiency of familial lipoprotein lipase, the enzyme that breaks down lipids
• familial hypertriglyceridemia, a genetic condition that causes people to have higher amounts of triglycerides in their blood
• familial dyslipoproteinemia, a genetic condition that causes people to have higher amounts of lipids in their blood.

Foods to Eat in Moderation

Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that is produced in the body and obtained from foods that come from animals (particularly egg yolks, meat, poultry, fish, and dairy products). The body needs this substance to build cell membranes, make certain hormones, and produce compounds that aid in fat digestion.

In people with familial hypercholesterolemia, the body is unable to get rid of extra cholesterol, and it builds up in the blood. Too much cholesterol increases a person’s risk of developing heart disease.

Lifestyle factors may include:

• diets high in saturated fats and low in unsaturated fats
• excess alcohol consumption
• lack of cardiovascular exercise
• weight gain
• a diet low in fiber
• smoking

Medications that may increase your risk for developing cholesterol deposits around your eyes include:

• beta-blockers
• oral contraceptives
• estrogen-containing medications
• corticosteroids
• retinoids
• thiazide diuretics
• protease inhibitors
• anabolic steroids
• antiepileptic drugs

Some conditions such as kidney disease, hypothyroidism, and diabetes mellitus can also contribute to the development of cholesterol deposits. That’s because these conditions can increase lipid concentration in your blood. Often the cause of dyslipidemia is unknown.

How is it Diagnosed?

Your doctor will ask you when you first noticed the yellow spots and whether they’ve changed since you noticed them. They may be able to make a diagnosis from a visual exam because xanthelasma has a distinctive appearance.

Your doctor may also want to know if you have a medical history of dyslipidemia. They may look for risk factors of the condition such as diet and genetics. They may also do a blood panel test to determine your lipid levels.

Treatment for cholesterol deposits around your eyes

Your doctor may be able to remove the cholesterol deposits. There are a few different methods they may use:

• Surgical excision using a very small blade is typically the first option to remove one of these growths. Recovery is at least four weeks.
• Chemical cauterization uses chlorinated acetic acids and can remove the deposits without leaving much scarring.
• Cryotherapy used repeatedly can destroy xanthelasma. This carries the risk of scarring and changes to the pigment of your skin.
• Carbon dioxide and argon laser ablation is less invasive than surgery and has a reasonable success rate. It carries the risk of pigmentation changes.
• Electrodessication can be used with cryotherapy.

For any procedure, it’s important to monitor your recovery. Note any side effects you experience, and let your doctor know about them at your next appointment.

Xanthelasma has a high recurrence rate, especially in cases of surgical excision or severe hyperlipidemia.So watch that cholesterol!

The underlying cause of xanthelasma may be dyslipidemia, so your doctor may also recommend lifestyle changes to help manage lipids in your bloodstream. That’s because the underlying cause of xanthelasma may be dyslipidemia. Controlling the number of lipids in your blood may help reduce your risk of developing future deposits.

• Work with a dietitian to evaluate your diet and come up with a plan for any changes you may need to make.
• Limit the number of saturated fats you eat to fewer than nine percent of your daily calorie intake.
• Increase your intake of fiber.
• Eat more protein, especially plant proteins that contain fewer calories, lower fat, and more fiber. Some examples of plant-based protein include tofu or beans.
• Reduce alcohol intake. Women should have no more than one drink per day, and men should have no more than two. A drink is defined as 5 ounces of wine or 12 ounces of beer.
• If you smoke or chew tobacco, think about quitting. Talk to your doctor about programs to quit smoking if you need help breaking the habit.
• Eat a moderate number of calories from monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.
• Participate in 30 minutes of moderate-intensity cardiovascular exercises three times per week.
• Do resistance exercises twice per week.

Your doctor may also prescribe medication that manages triglycerides or cholesterol.

Outlook

Xanthelasmas result from fatty deposits that build up around your eye. It can occur in people of all ages, but most often occurs in middle-aged and older adults. Xanthelasmas are generally not painful, but they can gradually build up and cause more discomfort if left untreated.

Xanthelasma can be treated through a variety of techniques. Your doctor may also recommend creating a plan that addresses the underlying cause of it, which is often dyslipidemia.

The post Xanthelasmas, a Side Effect of High Cholesterol Levels appeared first on Medika Life.

Cholesterol in your blood is carried on lipoproteins:

• Low-density lipoprotein (LDL), sometimes called “bad” cholesterol
• High-density lipoprotein (HDL), sometimes called “good” cholesterol.

High levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol cause plaque (fatty deposits) to build up in your blood vessels. This may lead to heart attack, stroke, or other health problems.

“Good” HDL cholesterol returns cholesterol to your liver so it can be removed from the body. In healthy people high levels of HDL cholesterol may lower your risk of heart attack, stroke, and other health problems.

Unhealthy cholesterol levels are often caused by lifestyle habits, such as unhealthy eating patterns, in combination with the genes that you inherit from your parents.

Routine blood tests can show whether your cholesterol levels are healthy. To help get your cholesterol levels into the healthy range, you may need heart-healthy lifestyle changes or medicines.

Causes of Blood Cholesterol

An unhealthy lifestyle is the most common cause of high “bad” LDL cholesterol or low “good” HDL cholesterol. However, genesthat you inherit from your parents, other medical conditions, and some medicines may also cause unhealthy cholesterol levels.

Unhealthy lifestyle habits

Unhealthy habits such as these are a common cause of unhealthy cholesterol levels:

• Eating a lot of foods high in saturated fats or trans fats, which increase “bad” LDL cholesterol. Saturated fats are found in fatty cuts of meat and dairy products. No more than 10% of your daily calories should come from saturated fats. Trans fats are often found in packaged snacks or desserts. Read the label and eat as little food with trans fats as possible.
• Lack of physical activity, such as spending a lot of time in front of a TV or computer. These patterns are linked with lower levels of “good” HDL cholesterol.
• Smoking, which lowers HDL cholesterol, particularly in women, and raises LDL cholesterol.
• Stress, which may raise levels of certain hormones, such as corticosteroids. These can cause your body to make more cholesterol.
• Drinking too much alcohol or binge drinking, which can raise your total cholesterol level.

Genes

Some people may develop high “bad” LDL cholesterol because of mutations, or changes, in their genes. These may be passed from parent to child, which can cause familial hypercholesterolemia. If you have a family history of high blood cholesterol, it may be more difficult for your body to remove LDL cholesterol from your blood or break it down in the liver.

Other medical conditions

Some medical conditions may raise LDL cholesterol levels or lower HDL cholesterol.

• Chronic kidney disease
• Diabetes
• HIV infection
• Hypothyroidism
• Lupus erythematosus
• Menopause
• Multiple myeloma
• Overweight and obesity
• Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
• Pregnancy
• Sleep apnea

Medicines

Some medicines that you take for other health problems can raise your level of “bad” LDL cholesterol or lower your level of “good” HDL cholesterol.

• Antiretroviral medicines used to treat HIV
• Arrhythmia medicines, such as amiodarone
• Beta-blockers for relieving angina chest pain or treating high blood pressure
• Chemotherapy medicines used to treat cancer
• Diuretics such as thiazide to treat high blood pressure
• Immunosuppressive medicines, such as cyclosporine, to treat inflammatory diseases or to prevent rejection after organ transplant
• Retinoids to treat acne
• Steroids, such as prednisone, to treat inflammatory diseases including lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and psoriasis

Screening and Prevention

Your doctor may order a blood test called a lipid panel to screen for unhealthy cholesterol levels.Adopting a heart-healthy lifestyle starting in childhood and continuing throughout your life can help prevent high blood cholesterol.

Lipid panel tests to screen for high blood cholesterol

A lipid panel usually measures total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and HDL cholesterol. Your test results may also show the level of non-HDL cholesterol, which includes all fats (including “bad” LDL cholesterol) that raise your risk of heart and blood vessels diseases. It may also include a test for triglycerides.

Ask your doctor if you need to fast before a lipid panel. This means you do not eat or drink anything except water for 9 to 12 hours before your visit. Ask your doctor about taking your medicines before the test.

How often you get a lipid panel done depends on your age, risk factors, and family history of high blood cholesterol or cardiovascular diseases, such as atherosclerosis, heart attack or stroke. Here is a general guide:

• Age 19 or younger. Screening begins at ages 9 to 11 and should be repeated every 5 years. Screening may be performed as early as age 2 if there is a family history of high blood cholesterol, heart attack, or stroke.
• Age 20 to 65. Younger adults should be screened every 5 years. Men ages 45 to 65 and women ages 55 to 65 should be screened every 1 to 2 years.
• Older than 65. Older adults should be screened every year.

If your blood cholesterol levels are not within the healthy range for your age and sex, your doctor may order a repeat lipid profile test, especially if you were not fasting before your first lipid panel. Also, it is important to know that your risk of coronary heart disease and stroke is based on several other factors, not just your cholesterol levels. These factors include things like your age, race, and lifestyle habits.

Prevention strategies

Living a heart-healthy lifestyle may help prevent unhealthy levels of blood cholesterol. This includes:

• Eating healthy
• Being physically active
• Aiming for a healthy weight
• Quitting smoking
• Managing stress
• Getting enough good quality sleep

Limiting how much alcohol you drink may also lower your risk of high blood cholesterol.

Signs, Symptoms, and Complications

High “bad” LDL cholesterol usually does not cause symptoms, so most people do not know they have it until they are tested during a routine doctor’s visit. Very high levels may cause symptoms such as fatty bumps on your skin, called xanthomas, or grayish-white rings around the corneas in your eye, called corneal arcus. These mostly develop in people who have familial hypercholesterolemia.

Undiagnosed or untreated high blood cholesterol can lead to serious problems, such as heart attack and stroke.

Complications

High blood cholesterol can lead to a condition called atherosclerosis, in which plaque builds up in the blood vessels throughout your body. Over time, uncontrolled high blood cholesterol can cause the following heart or blood vessel diseases:

• Carotid artery disease
• Coronary heart disease. You may feel chest pain (called angina)
• Heart attack
• Peripheral artery disease
• Stroke
• Sudden cardiac arrest

Talk with your doctor about your cholesterol levels and your risk of developing heart and blood vessel disease. Knowing your level of risk helps your doctor decide whether you need medicine to treat high cholesterol and what healthy lifestyle changes you may need to make to lower your risk.

To treat complications, you may need heart-healthy lifestyle changes, medicines, surgery, or other procedures. Certain medical devices, such as a stent to hold open a narrowed artery or a pacemaker to correct a rhythm disorder, can help keep your heart healthy.

Treatment

Unhealthy blood cholesterol levels are treated with heart-healthy lifestyle changes and medicines. People who have familial hypercholesterolemia may need special procedures.

If a medical condition or medicine is causing your blood cholesterol problem, your doctor may treat the condition or change your medicine or its dose. 

Talk with your doctor about your cholesterol levels, your risk of developing heart or blood vessel disease, other medical conditions you have, and your lifestyle. Your doctor can tell you about the benefits and side effects of medicines for lowering your blood cholesterol. Together, you can set up a treatment plan that will work for you.

Healthy lifestyle changes

To help you lower your LDL cholesterol level, your doctor may talk to you about adopting a healthy lifestyle.

• Heart-healthy eating. heart-healthy eating includes limiting saturated and trans fats that are found in fatty cuts of meat, dairy products, and many packaged snacks or desserts. The guidelines also recommend eating fish high in omega-3 fatty acids, nuts, and certain vegetable oils such as olive oil. The Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes and DASH eating plans can help you lower your “bad” LDL cholesterol. These plans also encourage eating whole grains, fruits, and vegetables rather than refined carbohydrates such as sugar. Talk to your doctor about other nutritional changes that you can make.
• Get regular physical activity. There are many health benefits to being physically active and getting the recommended amount of physical activity each week. Studies have shown that physical activity can lower LDL cholesterol and triglycerides and raise your “good” HDL cholesterol. Before starting any exercise program, ask your doctor what level of physical activity is right for you.
• Aim for a healthy weight. If you have high blood cholesterol and overweight or obesity, you can improve your health by aiming for a healthy weight. Research has shown that adults with overweight and obesity can lower “bad” LDL cholesterol and raise “good” HDL cholesterol by losing only 3% to 5% of their weight.
• Manage stress. Research has shown that chronic stress can sometimes increase LDL cholesterol levels and decrease HDL cholesterol levels.
• Quit smoking. For free help and support to quit smoking, you may call the National Cancer Institute’s Smoking Quitline at 1-877-44U-QUIT (1-877-448-7848).
• Get enough good quality sleep. Sleep helps heal and repair your heart and blood vessels. The recommended amount for adults is 7 to 9 hours of sleep a day.
• Limit alcohol. Visit the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism for resources on support and treatment to stop drinking.

Medicines

Depending on your risk for complications such as heart attack and stroke and whether you are able to lower your high blood cholesterol levels with lifestyle changes alone, your doctor may prescribe a medicine.

If your doctor prescribes medicines as part of your treatment plan, be sure to continue your healthy lifestyle changes. The combination of the medicines and heart-healthy lifestyle changes can help lower and control your blood cholesterol levels.

Doctors now have a range of medicines they can prescribe to treat high blood cholesterol.

• Statins are the most common medicine used to treat high blood cholesterol. Studies have shown that statins lower the risk of heart attack and stroke in people with high LDL cholesterol. Statins usually don’t cause side effects, but they may raise the risk of diabetes. However, this mainly happens in people already at high risk of diabetes, such as those who have prediabetes, overweight or obesity, or metabolic syndrome. Statins may also cause abnormal results on liver enzyme tests, but actual liver damage is extremely rare. Other rare side effects include muscle damage.
• Ezetimibe may be used if you have familial hypercholesterolemia, if statins cause side effects, or if statin treatment and lifestyle changes do not lower your “bad” LDL level enough. In rare cases, ezetimibe can cause liver injury.
• Bile acid sequestrants may be prescribed if you cannot take statins or if you need to lower your cholesterol even more than a statin taken alone. This medicine may cause diarrhea, make some other medicines less effective, or raise your blood triglyceride level.
• PCSK9 inhibitors are a type of medicine that you inject under your skin every 2 or 4 weeks. Your doctor may prescribe a PCSK9 inhibitor and a statin if you are at high risk of complications like heart attack or stroke, or if you have familial hypercholesterolemia. The most common side effects are itching, pain, or swelling at the place where you injected it.
• Lomitapide may be prescribed if you have familial hypercholesterolemia. If you take lomitapide, your doctor will check your liver enzymes regularly, because this medicine can cause liver injury. Your doctor will also recommend that you take vitamin E and other supplements.
• Mipomersen may also be used to treat familial hypercholesterolemia. If you take this medicine, your doctor will regularly check your liver because of the risk of liver injury.

Living With Blood Cholesterol

If you have been diagnosed with unhealthy levels of blood cholesterol, it is important that you continue your treatment. Follow-up care depends on your cholesterol levels, your risk of complications such as a heart attack or a stroke, and your response to treatment.

Monitor your condition

Follow up with your doctor regularly to see how well your treatment is working, whether you need to add or change medicines, and whether your health condition has changed.

• Take all medicines regularly, as prescribed. Do not change the amount of your medicine or skip a dose unless your doctor tells you to.
• Talk with your doctor about how often you should schedule office visits and blood tests.
• Call your doctor if you have any symptoms of complications or if you have problems with your blood pressure or blood sugar.
• Adopt a heart-healthy lifestyle. Your doctor will recommend that you make lifelong lifestyle changes, including heart-healthy eating, being physically active, quitting smoking, managing stress, and managing your weight. Your doctor may refer you to a dietitian to help you plan healthy meals and an exercise professional who can help you increase activity and improve your fitness level.

If heart-healthy lifestyle changes alone are not enough, your doctor may prescribe a statin or another medicine to help lower and control your high blood cholesterol levels.

If you start taking a statin or another cholesterol medicine, your doctor may order a lipid panel one to three months later to see whether the drug is working. Repeat tests may be done every three to 12 months after that to make sure your cholesterol levels remain healthy.

Learn the warning signs of serious complications and have a plan

High blood cholesterol can lead to serious cardiovascular complications, such as heart attack or stroke. If you think that you are or someone else is having the following symptoms, call 9-1-1 immediately. Every minute matters.

Heart attack

Heart attack symptoms include mild or severe chest pain or discomfort in the center of the chest or upper abdomen that lasts for more than a few minutes or goes away and comes back. This discomfort can feel like pressure, squeezing, fullness, heartburn, or indigestion. There also may be pain down the left arm or in the neck. Although both men and women can experience these symptoms, women are more likely to have other, less typical symptoms, such as shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, unusual tiredness, and pain in the back, shoulders, or jaw.

Stroke

If you think someone may be having a stroke, act F.A.S.T. and perform the following simple test.

F—Face: Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?

A—Arms: Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?

S—Speech: Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Is their speech slurred or strange?

T—Time: If you observe any of these signs, call 9-1-1 immediately. Early treatment is essential.

Learn about other precautions to help you stay safe while taking statins

Statins are the most common medicine used to treat high blood cholesterol. Learn some tips to stay safe if your doctor gives you statins.

• Keep taking your statin medicine as prescribed. If you started taking a statin after you recently had a heart attack, a stroke, or another complication, you should not stop taking this medicine on your own, because that can increase your risk for a repeat event or even death. Ask your doctor if you have any concerns about your medication or if you would like to stop or change to a different treatment.
• Ask your doctor what medicines, nutritional supplements, or foods you should avoid. Some of these can interact with statins to cause serious side effects or make them less effective. For example, grapefruit (fresh or as juice) affects how your liver breaks down some statins.
• Tell your doctor about any symptoms or side effects. Sometimes, people report muscle problems while taking statins. If you start having muscle pain, your doctor may order a blood test to look for muscle damage. The pain may go away if you switch to a different statin. Muscle damage with statins is rare, and your muscles may heal when you switch to a different medicine.
• If you are a woman who is planning to become pregnant, talk to your doctor about your options. You should stop taking statins about three months before getting pregnant. Also, you should not take statins if you are breastfeeding.

The post Blood Cholesterol, Hypercholesterolemia or Dyslipidemia appeared first on Medika Life.