Ways Cholesterol Affects Your Heart

Managing your health involves understanding key indicators, and cholesterol is one of the most important. Many people know that high cholesterol is bad for them, but they may not realize how it affects their heart. Understanding the connection between cholesterol and heart health is the first step toward preventing serious issues like heart disease and heart attacks. Cardiac Solutions has physicians in Sun City, Peoria, and Glendale, AZ, to help our patients maintain healthy cholesterol ranges. Below, we’ll highlight what cholesterol is, how high levels can harm your heart, and what you can do to manage it effectively.

What Is Cholesterol and Its Role in Your Body?

Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance found in all the cells in your body. Your liver produces all the cholesterol you need to perform essential functions, such as building healthy cells, producing hormones like estrogen and testosterone, and making vitamin D. Cholesterol also helps your liver create bile, which is necessary for digesting fatty foods. It travels through your bloodstream in small packages called lipoproteins, which are made of fat on the inside and proteins on the outside. There are two main types of lipoproteins you should know about:

• Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) – This is often called “bad” cholesterol. High levels of LDL can lead to plaque buildup in your arteries.
• High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL) – This is known as “good” cholesterol. HDL helps remove excess cholesterol from your body, carrying it back to the liver where it’s broken down and flushed out.

While your body needs cholesterol to function, having too much of it, especially LDL cholesterol, can create serious health problems.

How High Cholesterol Contributes to Heart Disease

When you have high cholesterol, your body has an excess of LDL cholesterol circulating in your blood. This excess cholesterol can start to build up on the walls of your arteries, which are the blood vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood from your heart to the rest of your body. This buildup process is called atherosclerosis.

Over time, the cholesterol combines with other substances in the blood, like fat and calcium, to form hard deposits called plaque. As the plaque grows, it narrows the arteries, making them stiff and less flexible. This condition restricts blood flow, which means that your heart and other organs might not get enough oxygen to function properly. This can lead to several forms of heart disease:

• Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) – When plaque builds up in the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle, it causes CAD. This can lead to chest pain and shortness of breath.
• Heart Attack – If a piece of plaque breaks off, a blood clot can form around it. This clot can completely block an artery, cutting off blood flow to a part of the heart muscle and causing a heart attack.
• Stroke – Plaque can also build up in the arteries that lead to the brain. If a clot blocks one of these arteries, it can cause a stroke.

The cholesterol effect on the heart is significant. High cholesterol levels directly contribute to the development of plaque, which is the primary cause of many serious cardiovascular events.

Signs, Symptoms, and When to Check Cholesterol

One of the most dangerous aspects of high cholesterol is that it usually has no obvious signs or symptoms. A person can have high cholesterol for years without knowing it, while damage is silently occurring in their arteries. That’s why regular screening is so important.

The only way to know your cholesterol levels is through a simple blood test called a lipid panel or lipid profile. This test measures your total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides. The American Heart Association recommends that all adults aged 20 or older have their cholesterol checked every four to six years. However, you may need more frequent testing if you have certain risk factors for heart disease, such as:

• A family history of high cholesterol or heart disease
• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• A smoking habit
• A sedentary lifestyle

Managing Cholesterol to Protect Your Heart

If you’re diagnosed with high cholesterol, the good news is you can take steps to lower it and reduce your risk of a heart attack. Lifestyle changes are often the first line of defense:

• Adopt a Heart-Healthy Diet – Focus on eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. Limit foods high in saturated and trans fats, such as red meat, fried foods, and full-fat dairy products.
• Engage in Regular Physical Activity – Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise each week. Either can help raise your HDL cholesterol levels.
• Maintain a Healthy Weight – Losing even a small amount of weight can help lower your cholesterol.
• Quit Smoking – Smoking damages your blood vessels and lowers your HDL cholesterol. Quitting can improve your cholesterol levels and overall heart health.

In some cases, lifestyle changes alone may not be enough. Your doctor might prescribe medications to help lower your cholesterol by reducing the amount your liver produces.

Frequently Asked Questions About Cholesterol

The physicians at Cardiac Solutions will answer any questions you have about cholesterol. Some of the most frequent ones we hear are:

What’s the Difference Between Good and Bad Cholesterol?
High-density lipoproteins help remove excess cholesterol from the bloodstream to prevent plaque buildup. However, high levels of low-density lipoproteins lead to the accumulation of plaque in your arteries, increasing the risk of heart disease.

Can High Cholesterol Cause a Heart Attack?
Yes. High cholesterol contributes to atherosclerosis, the hardening and narrowing of arteries due to plaque buildup. If a plaque ruptures, a blood clot can form and block an artery, cutting off blood supply to the heart and causing a heart attack. A high cholesterol level and heart attack risk are directly linked.

How Often Should I Check My Cholesterol?
Adults should have their cholesterol checked every four to six years. If you have risk factors for heart disease, like a family history, diabetes, or high blood pressure, your doctor may recommend more frequent testing.

Contact Cardiac Solutions for Help Managing Your Cholesterol

Protecting your heart starts with understanding and managing your cholesterol. Cardiac Solutions helps patients throughout the Arizona take control of their cholesterol and heart health, and we can do the same for you through personalized treatment plans and guidance. Contact us today to schedule a consultation.