Untreated or undertreated high cholesterol is associated with a lower life span due to the risk of heart attack and stroke, but it's still possible to live a long life with high cholesterol, provided you follow a heart-healthy lifestyle and take medication if needed.
Many people who have high cholesterol die from complications of heart disease before reaching an advanced age. Those who live into their 70s or 80s despite high cholesterol might have other factors that increased their longevity.
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.
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.
Over time, high cholesterol leads to plaque buildup inside your blood vessels. This plaque buildup is called atherosclerosis. People with atherosclerosis face a higher risk of many different medical conditions. That's because your blood vessels do important work all throughout your body.
Blocked arteries caused by plaque buildup and blood clots are the leading cause of death in the U.S. Reducing cholesterol and other risk factors can help prevent cholesterol plaques from forming. Occasionally, it can even reverse some plaque buildup.
Levels of LDL cholesterol higher than 130 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) are linked to an increased risk for ischemic stroke.
A. If you have the gumption to make major changes to your lifestyle, you can, indeed, reverse coronary artery disease. This disease is the accumulation of cholesterol-laden plaque inside the arteries nourishing your heart, a process known as atherosclerosis.
This research suggests that – contrary to common belief – LDL cholesterol is not as “bad” as may be thought, and higher levels are not linked to all-cause or cardiovascular mortality.
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.
As a general guide, total cholesterol levels should be: 5mmol/L or less for healthy adults. 4mmol/L or less for those at high risk.
Atherosclerosis, which causes diseases of the arteries, is a very common process. One of the biggest risk factors for atherosclerosis is age, so it is more common among people in their 60s and 70s, although there are many elderly people who don't have significant atherosclerosis.
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.
Total cholesterol of 5.8mmols/l is higher than recommended, but could be reduced with simple diet and lifestyle changes rather than medical treatment. Medical treatment would only be appropriate if the level was much higher.
National Stroke Guidelines strongly recommend taking medication to lower LDL cholesterol to under 1.8 mmol/L (70 mg/dL). - Recommended for patients after stroke caused by a blood clot.
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.
Although high cholesterol can be inherited, it's usually brought on by poor lifestyle choices, making it both curable and preventive. In most cases, medication as well as a good diet and regular exercise can help lower high cholesterol levels.
That is because neither dietary cholesterol changes or genetic cholesterol metabolism alone can predict the predisposition of the artery wall to plaque formation, and it is the actual formation of plaque which really determines an individual patient's risk of heart attack and stroke.
The bad cholesterol is called LDL and the good cholesterol is called HDL. When people have high cholesterol their LDL (bad) is high and their HDL (good) is low. Eating healthy, regular exercise and drinking plenty of water will help to bring down cholesterol levels within 2-3 weeks.