High Cholesterol

What causes high cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a waxy substance that circulates through your bloodstream and is responsible for building healthy cells. There are two types of cholesterol:

High-density lipoprotein (HDL)

HDL cholesterol is good cholesterol because it picks up excess cholesterol from your blood and carries it back to your liver.

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL)

LDL cholesterol is bad cholesterol because it can build up on your artery walls. Over time, LDL cholesterol can harden and cause narrowing in your arteries. This limits how much blood can pass through the vessel and leads to heart disease and other chronic cardiovascular conditions.

Clinica Medica Hispana offers comprehensive care for high cholesterol, including in-office blood testing and customized treatment plans. The team focuses on lowering your risk for heart attack, stroke, heart disease, and other high cholesterol-related complications.

When should I seek medical care for high cholesterol?

The only way to know if you have high cholesterol is to have a lipid panel, a blood test that shows your LDL, HDL, and total cholesterol levels, as well as your levels of triglyceride (a type of fat in the blood).

The Clinica Medica Hispana team recommends routine cholesterol screenings for adults during their physical exam. You may need more frequent blood tests if you have risk factors for high cholesterol, including:

• Obesity
• Smoking
• Poor diet
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Excess alcohol use

People aged 40 and over may also need more frequent cholesterol screenings because your liver cannot remove LDL cholesterol as efficiently as you get older.

How is high cholesterol treated?

Your treatment plan for high cholesterol may initially start with lifestyle changes to prevent a build-up of LDL cholesterol in your arteries. The Clinica Medica Hispana team can suggest cholesterol-lowering foods you should include in your diet and exercises that support healthy blood circulation.

If you need help quitting smoking, the medical specialists can recommend a smoking cessation program you can use to quit for good.

When your cholesterol levels remain unhealthy, the team can prescribe medications like statins that block cholesterol production in your liver. You need regular cholesterol screenings to ensure the medications are working well.

Call the Clinica Medica Hispana office nearest you to schedule a high cholesterol consultation or book an appointment online today.