:: Health Conditions - Cholesterol

Symptoms of High Cholesterol

Generally, high cholesterol is a "silent" condition that rarely causes its own symptoms. As a result, many people do not realize that they have high cholesterol.

You may, however, have symptoms caused by a serious illness associated with high cholesterol, such as atherosclerosis, stroke, peripheral arterial disease, or inflammation of the pancreas. Atherosclerosis is a narrowing of your arteries that can lead to coronary artery disease (CAD). Unfortunately, by the time you have symptoms of CAD, such as chest pain, the arteries in your body are usually severely diseased already. Your first symptom of high cholesterol could be a heart attack or a stroke.

Inherited forms of high cholesterol, such as familial hypercholesterolemia, can cause physical signs that you or your doctor may notice. The most common is the formation of xanthomas, which are cholesterol deposits below the skin.

Diagnose Cholesterol
Firstly you may use some of cholesterol test kits. Based on your results you may refer to health professional. A doctor, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant also will use one of two blood tests to check your cholesterol:

• A nonfasting cholesterol test will show your total cholesterol and high-density lipoproteins (HDL, or "good" cholesterol).
• A fasting cholesterol test, called a lipid profile or a lipoprotein analysis, will measure your LDL ("bad" cholesterol), HDL, and total cholesterol. It will also measure very low-density lipoproteins (VLDL) and triglycerides.

What is High Cholesterol?
High cholesterol is caused by eating a diet too high in cholesterol and saturated fat or by having an inherited condition that causes elevated cholesterol levels.
Treatment includes eating a more healthful diet, increasing physical activity, and possibly taking cholesterol-lowering medications.
A blood test can determine whether you have high cholesterol. Cholesterol is measured in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) or millimoles per liter (mmol/L).