HAVING raised cholesterol levels is one of the leading causes of heart disease.
And with the condition affecting nearly 40 per cent of the UK population – it’s not something we can ignore.
GettyA half moon shape forming in the eye can be an early sign of high cholesterol[/caption]
For most people it’s lifestyle factors like a poor diet which are to blame, but for some, genetics may also cause high cholesterol – which is known as familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH).
Cholesterol is a substance found in fats that’s needed to build healthy cells, according to the NHS.
When cholesterol gathers in blood vessels, it can cause painful clogging.
Many people with high cholesterol don’t actually know they have the condition until they either get tested or suffer some related health issues.
But those who have FH can often spot signs of the condition before dangerous health problems emerge.
And one such red flag is an half moon shape forming in the eye.
The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), described this as: “A whitish grey colour in the shape of a half-moon on the outside of your cornea.”
It says this occurs when extra cholesterol builds up in the body.
“Your doctor may be able to detect physical signs of familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) during a clinical exam, although not everyone with FH has these signs,” it explains.
“These physical signs of FH occur when extra cholesterol builds up in different parts of the body.”
Aside from the appearance of the distinctiive arc shape, Heart UK says other physical signs of FH include:
Swollen tendons on the knuckles of your hands and your Achilles tendon at the back of your ankleRaised, pale, yellowish patches around your eyes and on your eyelids
What are the dangers of too much cholesterol?
High levels of cholesterol can build up in the artery walls and reduce blood flow to the heart.
This increases the risk of a clot forming around the body and also coronary heart disease occurring.
According to the NHS website, high levels can lead to:
narrowing of the arteries (atherosclerosis)heart attackstroketransient ischaemic attack (TIA) – often known as a “mini stroke”peripheral arterial disease (PAD)
What’s the best way to lower cholesterol?
Cutting back cholesterol to the levels we were born with reduces the risk of heart attacks and strokes by a third, a study by Imperial College London found.
There are a number of ways you can cut back, including:
Maintain a healthy diet which is low in fatty foodSwap saturated fat for fruit, veg and wholegrain cerealsGive up smokingTake regular exercise
What’s an ideal safe level of cholesterol?
The way you can measure blood cholesterol levels is using the unit millimoles per litre of blood (mmol/L).
Your levels of cholesterol should be:
5mmol/L or less for healthy adults4mmol/L or less for those at high risk
When it comes to measuring LDLs, the levels should be:
3mmol/L or less for healthy adults2mmol/L or less for those at high rise Read More