The cardiologist may do tests to see if you have any blockage and work with other members of your care team to make a plan for treatment. In more serious cases, that might include a heart procedure or surgery.
Cardiologists help treat heart conditions such as high LDL (bad) cholesterol, high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, health conditions that require people to use blood thinners, and other heart conditions.
A cardiologist or primary care provider can help you manage unhealthy cholesterol, high blood pressure and chronic conditions, such as diabetes. But when standard treatments are no longer effective in keeping you healthy, you may need the expert care of an endocrinologist.
Your body needs cholesterol to build healthy cells, but high levels of cholesterol can increase your risk of heart disease. With high cholesterol, you can develop fatty deposits in your blood vessels. Eventually, these deposits grow, making it difficult for enough blood to flow through your arteries.
Completely reversing it isn't possible yet. But taking a statin can reduce the risk of complications from atherosclerosis. The statin fights inflammation, which stabilizes the plaque. For this reason, statins are often key to treating atherosclerosis.
A person is considered at high risk for developing heart disease if their total cholesterol level is higher than 240 mg/dL, LDL levels are higher than 160 mg/dL (190 mg/dL is even higher risk), and if the HDL level is below 40 mg/dL.
During your first appointment, the cardiology team will take measurements called “vitals.” This may include height, weight, blood pressure, breathing rate, resting heart rate and body temperature. Then your cardiologist will perform a head-to-toe examination of your body with a focus on your heart.
Many patients who are referred to cardiologists are older people with a history of things like congestive heart failure, heart attacks or atrial fibrillation, otherwise known as irregular heart rhythms, Dr. Asfour says. Men are typically at high risk for these events a decade earlier than women.
Many different factors can contribute to high blood cholesterol, including lifestyle factors like smoking, an unhealthy diet and lack of exercise, as well as having an underlying condition, such as high blood pressure or diabetes.
"Statins are the most effective heart attack and stroke prevention drugs that we have really ever seen," says Michael Honigberg, a cardiologist and researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital who is not affiliated with the new study.
However, making unhealthy choices puts you at risk of rising cholesterol levels. Therefore, there is no complete cure for the condition; you can only implement changes in your lifestyle to control cholesterol levels.
High cholesterol levels are considered: too high: between 5 and 6.4mmol/l. very high: between 6.5 and 7.8mmol/l. extremely high: above 7.8mmol/l.
"One of the most common signs of high cholesterol in the legs is a condition called claudication. This occurs when the blood vessels in the legs become narrowed or blocked due to the build-up of cholesterol and other substances. As a result, leg pain or cramping can occur during physical activity, such as walking.
Dr. Lisa Matzer: Stress is known to increase cholesterol levels and in particular the bad LDL cholesterol. The amount of stress in your life isn't as important as how you deal with it. The more anger and hostility that stress produces in you, the higher (and worse) your LDL and triglyceride levels tend to be.
Total cholesterol levels should be lower than 5.5 mmol/L, if you have no other risk factors. If you have cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure, pre-existing cardiovascular (heart) disease or diabetes, or you smoke, the aim for LDL cholesterol levels would be less than 2 mmol/L.
A: Without treatment, the life expectancy of those with familial hypercholesterolemia can be reduced by approximately 15-30 years. However, in people with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia, the life expectancy may only be 20 years or less.
Levels of LDL cholesterol higher than 130 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) are linked to an increased risk for ischemic stroke.
There is no easy way to unclog an artery once plaque has built up. But, dietary choices, exercise, and avoiding smoking can improve cardiovascular health and stop blockages from worsening. In some cases, medication or surgery may be necessary.
The longer you have high cholesterol, the more likely you are to develop heart disease. In one study, people who had high levels for 11 years or more had double the risk than those who had them for 10 years or less. Most people with high cholesterol don't have any warning signs.