irfanfariz
4 years
What are the complication of high cholesterol
Hi doctor, what are the complication of high cholesterol? What food should be avoided?
Dr Nur Syuhada binti Zulkifli,
5 years
Hi, thank you for your question.
High cholesterol can increase the risk of developing many other medical conditions. The main complication of high cholesterol is heart disease. High cholesterol can cause a buildup of plaque in the walls of arteries and cause these arteries to harden, also known as atherosclerosis.
Atherosclerosis leads to narrowing of the arteries and slowing of blood flow to heart muscles. Patients may develop angina (chest pain) due to reduced blood flow or a heart attack if arteries get obstructed completely.
Similarly, when atherosclerosis affects arteries leading to the brain, patient may develop a stroke when blood supply to the brain is completely cut off. People who had a stroke are often left with long-term issues as a result of brain injury. The imapct of stroke will depend on the extent of brain injury and areas of the brain affected.
High cholesterol can also cause peripheral vascular disease (diseases of blood vessels outside the brain and heart) and they mainly affect blood vessels in the legs and feet. If arteries of the kidney is affected, you may develop chronic kidney disease. People with high cholesterol are also likely to develop high blood pressure.
When the blood vessels become hardened and narrowed due to cholesterol plaques, the heart has to work harder to pump blood. This increases the blood pressure. Besides, the excess cholesterol in the body can form gallstones in your gallbladder.
Food that are high in saturated fats and trans fat should be avoided.
A list of these food includes:
- fatty cuts of red meat
- egg yolks
- organ meats
- full-fat dairy products such as whole milk, cheese, butter, and cream
- deep-fried food
- pies
- pastries
- cookies
- cakes
- fast food
- sugary drinks and food
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